THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



THE 

BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

A COMPILATION OF 

OPINIONS OF THE LEADING BRIDGE AUTHORITIES 

ON LEADS, DECLARATIONS, INFERENCES, AND 

THE GENERAL PLAY OF THE GAME 

BY 

PAUL F. MOTTELAY 



NEW YORK 

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 

1906 



c^' 



^ 



" Whist is a language, and every 
card an intelligible sentence.^'' — Clay. 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

NOV 80 1906 

cuss jniKcV 
copyB, ♦' 



L«=. 



Copyright, 1906, for Great Britain and the United States, 
By PAUL F. MOTTELAY 



All rights reserved 
Published November, 1906 



" We cannot all have genius, hut we can all have 
attention : the absence of intelligence we cannot help, 
-Westminster Papers. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PAGE 

History of Bridge 1 

Bibliography of Bridge 6 

Najmes of Authors and Publications Prominently Cited . 12 

How the Ordinary Gaihe of Bridge Is Played . . . 13 

Scoring. — Table of Scores . 16 

The Declaration. — The No Trumps Declaration — ^The No 
Trumps Declaration by the Dummy — The Robertson Rule 
— ^The Hearts Declaration — The Diamonds Declaration — 
The Declaration of Black Suits by the Dealer — The Clubs 
Declaration — The Spades Declaration — The Spades Con- 
vention — Declarations by Dummy — Declarations to the Score 
by the Dealer — Declarations to the Score by the Dummy — 
Tables of Declarations for Dealer at the Score of Love- 
All — Table of Defensive or Protective Declarations for the 
Dealer — Table of Declarations for Dummy at Different 
Scores — Table of Declarations for Dummy at the Score of 
Love- All — Table of Declarations in the third game of Rubber 19 

Doubling and Redoubling. — Doubling No Trumps as Leader 
— Doubling No Trumps as Third Player — Doubling a suit 
Declaration 46 

The Leads at Bridge. — The First, Original, Opening Lead — 

Play of Dealer's Left-hand Adversary at No Trumps . . 54 

Tables of Combinations to show Unblocking ... 63 

Original Classifications. — Accepted Leads at No Trumps — 
Accepted Leads at Trumps — Inferences from High-card 



vi TABLE OF COXTENTS 

PaGS 

Leads — Tiie Blenheiin Club Private Leads and Elementary 
Bridge Conventions — Code of Leads bv '"Problematicus," of 
the Bystander — Play of Third Hand against High-card Leads 
at No Trumps — Table of Probabilities 67 

The Discard 86 

Thz Eleven- Rutlz. Thz Fourth Best 94 

Thz Twelve Rulz. The Third Best 98 

Gexzzal Hi^~s 99 

Laws. — Tne American Laws of Bridge ...... 10*2 

How Othee Bridge Games Are Plated. — Dnmmy Bridge, 
Double Dummy Bridge, Duplicate Bridge, Auction Bridge, 
Progressive Bridge, Three-handed Bridge or Cut-Throat 

Bridge. ^lisery Bridge, King's Bridge, Draw Bridge, Short 
Bridge, Reversi Bridge 119 

Glossary 129 

GzATZH-u: Lndzx 141 



INTRODUCTORY NOTE 

"The Bridge Blue Book" is a comprehensive analysis 
of the various pubhcations on Bridge. The author has en- 
deavored throughout the book to give full credit to all the 
writers whose opinions are quoted. 

The purpose of the book is to point out clearly — for the 
teacher, advanced student, and beginner — how the most fre- 
quently occurring and important combinations of cards are 
treated by different leading authorities. This is accomplished 
by means of clearly tabulated forms and supporting explana- 
tions introduced throughout the book, and particularly in the 
article treating of the different leads. 

To the several new games of Bridge for less than four players, 
which are included in the book and which are more or less 
unknown in the United States, much space has purposely been 
devoted; and, in this connection, the singular attractiveness of 
Auction Bridge must be especially pointed out. 

The bibhographical and historical compilations as well as 
the glossary and general index may claim to be the first insti- 
tuted with thoroughness, the few efforts hitherto made in these 
Hnes not being worthy of serious attention. 

Thanks are due to the editors of The Field, the Saturday 
Review, and Vanity Fair for courtesies extended, as well as to 
Mr. Fisher Ames, the well-known author, and to Mr. L. J. 
Bruck, editor of " Bridge," for valuable suggestions as to the 
general treatment of the present work. 

In spite of the great care exercised in preparing the book. 



viii INTRODUCTORY NOTE 

some errors may be discovered in it. In that event, the author 
will be thankful to have them pointed out, as well as to have 
presented to him all possible suggestions which might tend to 
make future editions of this work still more attractive and 
serviceable. 

276 West 132d Street, 
New York, U. S. A., October, 1906. 



HISTORY OF BRIDGE 

Through a happy accident, Bridge was introduced into 
England during the year 1894. Among the players at the 
well-known Portland Club in London ^ was Lord Brougham, 
fresh from a protracted sojourn in Southern Europe, where he 
had long been playing the new game, and who, from force of 
recent habit, omitted to turn up the last card at Whist when it 
was his turn to deal. This naturally provoked much astonish- 
ment, and led to a complete explanation of Bridge, which was 
emphatically pronounced by Lord Brougham to be " by far the 
best card game ever invented." Its novel features proved at 
once so very attractive to all present that it was promptly 
adopted not only by the Portland but by the Turf and other 
leading clubs as well. In fact, it developed by leaps and 
bounds, and soon became so popular as to almost completely 
dethrone Whist, which had all along held undisputed sway. 
Its success, since then has been well-nigh phenomenal, and, in 
nearly all the leading clubs, here and abroad, Bridge proves 
now to be in unquestioned possession. 

The name of Bridge probably grew out of the Russian word 
hiritchy which is called out when the player declares No Trumps. 
The appearance in England, between 1883 and 1886, of a pamph- 
let on "Biritch, or Russian Whist," failed to attract much 
attention at that period, but during the ensuing ten years the 

^ The most famous Whist Club, which cooperated with John Lorraine Bald- 
win, "father of the present English code," and with the Arlington (now Turf) 
Club in making the celebrated revision of the " Laws of Whist," 1863-64. 

1 



S THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

present natural offshoot of the Russian form of play — one 
variety of which is called leralasch, Teralache, Yelarash, by Sir 
Horace Rumbold — became everywhere quite a favourite pastime. 
The game is said by some to have originated at Athens, although 
it is known to have been played, practically in its present form, 
tlu'oughout Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and along the Maritime 
Alps, for actually more than thirty years, under the name of 
Khedive. In France it appears to have always borne the Eng- 
lish name of Bridge, but in Denmark, in Austria, and in other 
places, its prototype has long been known under the name of 
Cayeney Cayenne, meaning the best suit — ^the No Trumps, Sans 
Atout, make being called Grand.^ 

During 1895 " The Laws of Bridge, adopted by the Portland 
Club, and a guide to the game by Boaz, first edition, De La Rue 
& Co., London," made its appearance, and the work was found 
to be so well systematised that the two leading Constantinople 
clubs decided not only to have the book translated but to issue 
a new edition of it upon a considerably enlarged scale. The 
Code of Laws, as adopted by the Whist Club in New York, 
came out originally during 1897, two years after the English 
pubHcation and four years after Mr. Henry I. Barbey is reported 
to have brought it over to New York, where he wrote a short 
account of the game for private circulation. Several editions of 
the code have since appeared at different periods, the most impor- 
tant bearing the title "American Laws of Bridge, adopted Novem- 

^ A Continental correspondent of the Saturday Review, writing under date 
May 23, 1906, says that Bridge is e\adently a joint product of the foreign varieties 
of WhLst known as Cayenne (long played in Austria and Germany) and Teralache, 
(the favourite Russian game), " having derived the naming of trumps and passing 
it over from the former and the value of each suit and No Trumps from the latter, 
the French having added their partiality to playing with a dummy." Another 
correspondent, "Lover of Cards," says that Bridge seems to have been evolved 
from one of the simpler variations of "Vint," now the national card game of 
Russia. 



HISTORY OF BRIDGE S 

ber, 1902," with a revision carrying it up to January, 1905, and, 
independently of the last named, Messrs. Charles Scribner's 
Sons have issued a new edition, as adopted during May, 1905, 
by a committee of the clubs whose representatives are said to 
have drafted the original code. 

A copy of the American laws will herein be found tran- 
scribed in full, at pages 102-118, with notes showing where 
they are materially at variance with the 1905 English Code. 

The views entertained by many leading authors concerning 
the new game are here given, and must needs prove of interest. 
" Bridge is still Whist," remarks Professor Hoffmann, " the 
elements of novelty being (1) a new mode of deciding the 
trump suit (2) varying values assigned to tricks and honours, . . . 
(3) permission to double and redouble trick values (4) playing 
of third hand as dummy (5) new total of points for game, 
30, by tricks only, and (6) the addition of a fifth honour." 

Hulme-Beaman, who, by the way, places the old Russian 
game of " Vint " far above Bridge, admits that in the latter game 
there are fewer hard and fast rules than in Whist, one of the 
greatest charms of Bridge being that each player has far more 
liberty of action than in the old game. Mr. Beaman further 
observes that " one of the great faults of Whist, after the honours 
blot, was that any points scored over and above the game were 
valueless. This is corrected at Bridge, where every trick scores. 
. . . Bridge possesses most, if not all, of the attractions of 
Whist, with a good many additional ones of its own and none 
of the old faults." 

By many. Bridge has been classed as a gambling game, Mr. 
McTear giving out at pp. 24-25 of his "Exposition," in the 
Gentleman's Magazine, eight detailed reasons why it should be 
so considered, while others, like " Badsworth," take the opposite 
view.^ 

^ The Asian, Calcutta, December 23, 1905, quotes the Daily Express as say- 



4 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

The last-named writer says that Bridge "calls for the 
promptest exercise of the soundest judgment . . . develops 
powers of concentration . . . encourages careful observation, 
and improves the memory, trains the mind to estimate probabiH- 
ties accurately and to draw inferences from actual knowledge 
and well marshalled facts . . . gives great insight into human 
character . . . and shows the advantage of definite thought." 

" Cavendish," who was at first so thoroughly opposed to 
the innovation, reahsed finally and admitted that there was " no 
game of cards in the world wherein skill, sound judgment, and 
insight into the methods of the adversaries will meet with more 
certain reward than they do at Bridge." 

The Saturday Review predicts that Bridge — which it terms 
a game of indi\ddual skill, common sense and observation, 
while Whist is a game of elaborated science and combination — ■ 
will last because it is the most fascinating game of cards that 
has ever been invented, by reason of its affording infinite variety 
and continual excitement. 

Archibald Dunn remarks that Bridge "ranks as the king 
of card games simply and solely because it is the best, i. e.^ 
because it requires more skill to be a good player at Bridge 
than at any other game of cards. . . . Bridge requires, from its 
exponents, greater judgment both before and during the play 
of the hand; greater independence of conventions; more accurate 
observation and more subtle skill in drawing inferences; in 
short, a greater appeal to our mental faculties. . . . All these 
things and many others combine to produce a never-ending 

ing that, in consequence of strong feeling among Bridge players, the stakes on 
the game are now materially lowered. At the London headquarters of Bridge, 
the Portland Club, points have been reduced from £5 per 100 and £.5 on tlie rub- 
ber to 10s. per 100; while at the Turf Club, the game, which was not long since 
occasionally played for 2s. points, or £10 per 100 and £10 on the rubber, stands 
now at a maximum of £.5 per 100. At the New Bridge Club, the points are 2s. 
6d. per 100, and at AJmack's, 10s. per 100. 



HISTORY OF BRIDGE 5 

kaleidoscope of chances and to add an element of excitement 
which exists in no other game. ..." 

"Boaz" says: "In no game do skill, sound Judgment, and 
an insight into the mode of others' play meet more certainly 
with their reward than in Bridge. " 

" Pontifex " agrees that " Bridge is, at all events, paramount 
at the present time; and, as far as can be seen, its reign is 
spreading almost to the exclusion of all other games with cards." 

"Lynx" declares: "I hold that Whist laboured under five 
serious disabilities : the arbitrary trump, game- winning honours, 
its limitations and science, its dulness and silence, its tyrannies 
— none of which reproaches can be levelled against Bridge." 

An authority in To-Day and London Opinion sums up by 
saying: "The game of Bridge differs from other card games, 
which have in turn secured great popularity, in that it makes 
all important the power of assessing chances in a set of cir- 
cumstances in which the balance of probabilities has to be 
weighed, giving each one of that set of circumstances its exact 
value as bearing upon the outcome of the line of action to be 
selected. So much does this delicate assessing of possibilities 
and the bearing of one chance upon another have to do with 
success at the game, that in the long run it outweighs all the 
variable distributions of cards, all the luck, all the memory, and 
all the skill in signalling." 



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BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BRIDGE 11 

The works which have been pubHshed in French date only 
from the year 1901. They are: By M. Pussey, "Traite du jeu 
de Bridge"; by La Princesse Victor Dhuleep Singh, "Manuel 
du jeu de Bridge"; by M. Hayard, "Regie complete du jeu de 
Bridge"; by M. Marcel, "Regie du jeu de Bridge"; by Mr. le 
Comte R. ("Grand Schlem"), "Le Bridge"; by M. Martin 
Gall, " Le jeu de Bridge " ; by G. B. de Savigny, " Le Bridge et le 
Whist"; besides translations, from the English, of works by 
"Boaz," "Hellespont," and others. 

Series of articles on Bridge Whist worthy of especial men- 
tion, have appeared, notably, in the Enghsh Saturday Review^ 
Vanity Fair, Illustrated Sporting News, The Field, The County 
Gentleman, The Bystander, The Badminton Magazine, To-Day 
and London Opinion, The Daily Mirror, The Queen, and The 
Onlooker; Hkewise, in the New York Sun, Telegram, Globe; in 
the Boston Whist, in the Philadelphia Press, in the Chicago 
Tribune, and in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. A monthly mag- 
azine. Bridge, devoted entirely to the game, is also published in 
New York City. 



NAMES OF AUTHORS AND PUBLICATIONS 

PROMINENTLY CITED THROUGHOUT 

THIS COMPILATION 

[Other names will be found in the General Index.] 



"Ace of Spades," Bombay. 




"Hoffmann, Professor," London. 


Agacy, H. A., London. 




Hulme-Beaman, A. G., London. 


Ames, Fisher, Boston. 




Illustrated Sporting News, London. 


Atchison and Lindsell, London. 


Keily, C. R., New York. 


Badminton Magazine, London. 


"Keystone," in Vanity Fair. 


"Badsworth," London. 




"Knave of Clubs," London. 


Baily's Magazine, London. 




"Lennard Leigh," Philadelphia. 


"Bascule," in Illustrated 


Sporting 


"Lynx," Calcutta. 


News. 




Melrose, C. J., London. 


Beasley, H. M., London. 




"Pontifex," London. 


Bergholt, E., London. 




"Portland," in Badminton Magazine. 


Blenheim Club, London. 




"Red Lancer," Ceylon. 


"Boaz," London. 




Robertson and Wollaston, Calcutta. 


" Cut-Cavendish," London. 




Saturday Review, London. 


Dalton, William, London. 




"Slam," London. 


"Deuce of Diamonds," in 


Times of 


Smith, Colin, London. 


India. 




Steele, K. N., New York. 


"Doe, John," Allahabad. 




Street, C. S., New York. 


Dunn, A., London. 




"Templar," London. 


Elwell, J. B., New York. 




The Field, London. 


Foster, R. F., New York. 




Times of India, Bombay. 


Gentleman" s Magazine, London. 


Vanity Fair, London. 


"Hellespont," London. 




Whitfeld, W. H., London. 



HOW THE ORDINARY GAME OF 
BRIDGE IS PLAYED' 



A Whist pack of fifty-two cards having been procured, the 
four players proceed in the following manner: 

Each player cuts or turns up a card, the two lowest (ace 
being considered a low card in cutting) and the two highest 
respectively becoming partners on either side. If the same 
denomination of low cards happens to be cut by two of the 
players, the cards are by them cut again until a different one is 
held by each player, merely for the purpose of deciding who is 
to make the first deal.^ When the players have taken their 
proper seats at the table, the one having cut the very lowest 
card shuffles the pack above the table, has it cut by player on 
his right, and deals out the cards, face downward, from left 
to right, in the customary manner, until each player has been 
given thirteen. The last card is not turned up. 

The accepted designation of each of the players is given in 
the following diagram: 

Dummy 



Leader, or 
Eldest hand 



Pone, or 
Third hand 



Dealer 

^ Consult " The American Laws of Bridge," to be found herein at pp. 102-118. 
^ " As between cards of otherwise equal value, the lowest is the heart, next the 
diamond, next the club, and highest the spade" (Association Laws). 

13 



U THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

All of the players except the dummy (who is partner of the 
dealer) look at and assort their respective hands. The dummy 
should, meanwhile, not touch the hand which has been dealt 
out for him, but allow it to remain on the table. This is the rule 
in many of the best clubs. 

The dealer is the first to speak. He should, after examining 
his hand, either make a Trumps declaration (Hearts, Diamonds, 
Clubs, Spades), or a No Trumps declaration; or, if he prefers 
not to exercise this privilege, he must pass — transfer — the right 
to his partner, the dummy, who, in that event, is compelled to 
make a declaration. 

When the dealer does declare a certain suit or a No Trumps, 
the dummy takes up his cards and assorts them, ready to be 
spread out, upon the table before him, after the first lead has 
been made. The dummy proceeds in the same way when the 
make has been passed to him by the dealer and he announces 
the compulsory declaration he has himself decided upon. 

A declaration, once announced, cannot be altered (American 
Laws, Section 49), and after it has been made, either by the 
dealer or by the dummy, the leader should thus address the 
pone: "Shall (may) I play, partner.^" to which the pone should 
reply, " Yes, " or " You may play (lead) " — in case it is not the 
wish of either to double. 

Doubling and RedoubHng are processes by which the ad- 
versaries of the dealer and dummy are first enabled to increase 
the score of tricks (not of honours, which cannot be doubled), 
and it may go on until the generally accepted maximum of 100 
per trick is reached. The Code adopted by the Association of 
United States Clubs estabhshes an absolute maximum of 200. 
When either the leader (who holds the prior right) or the pone, 
on the one side, desires to double he so states ; in heu of saying 
"May I play?" etc., either one says, "I double," and then the 
declarer (having first right) or his partner should say either " I 



HOW THE GAME OF BRIDGE IS PLAYED 15 

redouble" or "I am content (satisfied). " See American Laws, 
Sections 50-60. 

The leader, sitting at left of the dealer, then plays his first 
card — the opening lead. It is only ajter this initial lead, as 
before stated, that the dummy must spread out all his cards, 
face upward, upon the table before him, so that all the other 
three players can see them. The dummy's hand should be 
assorted in such manner that the suits alternate in color and 
are classified from ace downward — ^hkewise, so that the cards 
of the declared trump suit, if any, lie on the table to his right. 

The dummy, up to the time of thus spreading his cards 
upon the table, is on even terms and enjoys equal rights with 
all the other players, but, from the moment he has exposed his 
hand, he should properly remain perfectly quiet and not leave 
his seat nor look over the hands of other players. Such rights 
as he may have are specified in the American Laws, Sections 
62-63. 

After the leader has played his opening card, the game pro- 
ceeds in the customary manner, the dealer alone playing dum- 
my's exposed hand, together with his own, in regular order. 



SCORING 



A game of Bridge is won only when 30 trick (not honour) 
points over the first six tricks, or "book," have been scored by 
either side. Should more than 30 points be scored, the excess 
is not carried to another game but is credited in the final total. 
The side winning a rubber adds 100 points to its honour col- 
umn. 

Table of Scores 



In a No Trumps Declaration. 

pbonours are the four aces.] 



Each trick made above the first six tricks, or "book," counts. 

Three Aces (held by one or both partners) count 

Four Aces (held between the partners) count 

Four Aces (held in one hand) count 



12 
30 
40 
100 







§ 




1 


i 


o 






p 


< 


m 


o 


Q 


2 


4 


6 


8 


4 


« 


12 


16 


H 


Ifi 


24 


32 


10 


20 


30 


40 


16 


32 


48 


64 


18 


36 


54 


72 


20 


40 


60 


80 



In a Trumps (Suit) Declaration, such as: 



Each trick made above the first six, counts 

Three honours (however held) count as two tricks in that suit 

Four honours (between partners) count as four tricks in that suit. . 
Five honours (between partners) count as five tricks in that suit.. . 
Four honours (all in one hand) count as eight tricks in that suit. . . . 
Five honours (four in one hand, the fifth in partner's hand) count 

as nine tricks in that suit 

Five honours (all in one hand) count as ten tricks in that suit 



Honours are the Ace, King, Queen, Knave, Ten. 

Honours — Chicane (absence of trumps in one hand) counts as two tricks in the suit. 
Honours — Double Chicane (no trumps held by either partner) counts as four tricks in 
the suit. 

Honours — Grand Slam (any side making all thirteen tricks) counts 40 points. 
Honours — Little Slam, (any side making in aU 12 tricks) counts 20 points. 

The foregoing shows that : 
In a Suit (Trumps) declaration, it is necessary to hold above 
the "book," in order to win game, only four tricks in 
Hearts, while five tricks are required in Diamonds; but 
16 



SCORING 



17 



that the whole seven tricks, above the "book," in Clubs 
would make but 28 points, and in Spades not more than 14 
points. It is therefore easily seen that it is not possible 
to win any game in one deal with either of the black suits, 
and it would be well to bear in mind, clearly, that Hearts 
are worth four times. Diamonds three times, and Clubs 
twice as much as Spades. 

In a No Truvips declaration, only three tricks, above the 
" book," win the game. 

There is, of course, no honour score if each side holds 
two aces. 

The value of honours. Chicane, Grand Slam, Little Slam, is in 
no manner affected by either doubling or redoubling. 
See American Laws, Section 10. 
The most satisfactory method of keeping score appears to be 

the following: 

They We They 



We 



O 
O 



32 
32 

24 


§ 8 

M 4 

: 40 

: 16 


24 
12 


24 


24 


24 
1 12 


2 
40 


H 28 


100 

290 
220 

70 




220 



1st game. 

2d game. 
3d game. 

Totals. 



18 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

First round. " We " score 4 tricks, Diamonds, = -24, also -i honours in 2 hands = 24. 

The 24 in tricks goes below the heavy line and the honour 24 above it. 
Second round. "They" score 3 tricks, Hearts, =24, also simple honours =16. 

The 24 goes below the heavy line and the 16 above it. 
Third round. "We" score 1 trick, No Trumps, =12. Honours are divided. 
The 12 goes under their 24, and, as that makes game, a double line is 
drawn beneath. 
Fourth round. "They" score 2 tricks. No Trumps, =24, also 4 aces between 
them =40. 

The 24 goes under the first double line and the 40 goes above their 16. 
Fifth round. "We" score 6 tricks. Clubs, =24, also for Little Slam =20 
and for 5 honours between them =20, a total of 40 in honours, but as 
"They" claim for Chicane 8, this comes off of the 40, leaving 32, which 
goes above the 24, while the 24 in tricks goes under the first double hne. 
Sixth round. "They" made it Spades, which was doubled by "We." But 
"They" succeeded in scoring 3 tricks =6, which multiplied by 2 (for the 
double — which affects tricks alone) gives 12, also simple honours =4. 

The 12 goes under their 24 and the 4 goes above the 40. As another 
game is won, a double line is drawn underneath. 
Seventh round. " We " score 1 trick. Spades, =2, but " They " held 4 honours =8. 
The 8 goes above the 4 of " They" and the 2 made by " We" goes below 
the second double line. 
Eighth round. "They" score Grand Slam, Clubs, =40 ('and the 7 tricks =28), 
also 4 honours in one hand =32, but as "We" claim for Chicane 8, this 8 
is deducted from the 32, lea%-ing 24. 

The 24+40 = 64 goes above the 8 and the 28 goes below the second double 
line. 
Ninth round. "We" score 5 tricks. Hearts, = 40, also 4 honours in 2 hands =32. 
The 40 goes under the 2 and the 32 honours above the preceding 32. 
As the game is won another double line is drawn below and the customary 
bonus of 100 is added for winning the rubber. The two columns are then 
footed up and the difference, in this case 290 — 220 =70, is the value of the 
rubber. 
N.B. In footing up, all is generally omitted above or below the nearest 
Ten. For instance, a total of 73 would be called 70 and 77 would be called 
80. 



THE DECLARATION 

It has truly been said that the declaration at Bridge is the 
crucial difficulty confronting the beginner. By most players 
it is justly deemed the most important part of the game — even 
of more consequence than is the original lead — a fact apt to 
be overlooked on account of the singularly tempting specula- 
tive opportunity which the declaration offers. Robertson 
wisely remarks that a trick or more may be lost through in- 
correct play, but that an unsound make usually involves the loss of 
the game, and that the rubber inclines strongly in the same di- 
rection, so that the reward for sound declarations proves, in fact, 
correspondingly greater than is the return from good play.^ 

The declaration should invariably be made to the score, and 
it is well to bear in mind that 6, 18, 24 are the most important 
stepping-stones; for, at 6, two tricks in No Trumps — at 18, the 
odd trick in No Trumps — at 24, the odd trick in anything but a 
black suit — wins the game. Likewise, that if your score stands 
22 to 18 you should, if in doubt, select Hearts preferably to 
No Trumps, while at 24 to 22, or 18 to 18, Diamonds should 
be preferred to Hearts. — (Bergholt.) 

The dealer should declare: Hearts, when holding five of 
of them with one honour; Diamonds, holding ^yq with two 
honours; Clubs, holding six with three honours; Spades, holding 
eight with two honours. With a Yarborough, containing five 

^ "Bascule," in Illustrated Sporting News, well says that the average player 
has something to learn about the declaration, the "great fundamental error" 
committed by the majority of people being that they are " always going for game " 
— a mistake due largely to the text-books on Bridge, wherein any call by the 
dealer which will not practically take him out is almost interdicted. 

19 



20 THE BRIDGE BLITE BOOK 

Hearts, four Diamonds, three Clubs, and a single Spade, dealer 
should pass the declaration to partner. — {The Field.) 

The least a player should hold for a suit declaration is : six, 
including one honour; or, five, including two honours and a side 
trick; or, four, including three good honours and three tricks. 
—{Steele.) 

It is noTv generally admitted that a suit of six Hearts or Dia- 
monds should always be made trumps at love-aU. — (Sporting 
News.) 

Holding four honours of any suit, even Spades, declare 
such suit unless the remainder of the hand prompts Xo Trumps. 
— {Hulme-Beaman.) 

With aU the suits guarded, declare Xo Trumps. — (Dunn.) 

By most players it is regarded as an estabhshed maxim 
that, aside from the score, a player should refrain calhng X'o 
Trumps, whatever number of tricks he may count in his hand, 
if he has more than one suit unprotected. Xo suit, except 
Spades, should be declared defensively with less than five 
cards in it. — (" Pontifex.'') 

Five good picture cards and three suits guarded are the 
proper qualifications of a Xo Trumps hand, and the average 
strength of one's no trumper should not fall below that. A red 
suit should not be declared with fewer than five trumps. — 
{Badminton Magazine.) 

With six or more cards of a black suit thoroughly estabhshed, 
and one other card of entry, X'o Trumps should always be de- 
clared at the score of love. For a thoroughly established suit, 
the Ace, King, Queen at the head is a necessity. — {Dalton.) 

The main requirements of a Xo Trumps hand is that you 
should be guarded in three suits; and, to be guarded in a suit, 
you should hold at least an Ace, or a King and two others, or a 
Queen, Knave and one other, or a Knave, Ten, and two others. 
— (" Cut-Cavendish.'') 



THE DECLARATION 21 

With six or more certain tricks in Spades or Clubs and one 
other Ace, make it No Trumps (unless four or five honours in 
either Hearts or Diamonds are held, when suit should be de- 
clared); and, generally, when holding both the red Aces and 
Kings besides one or two small in each suit — even v>^ith nothing in 
the black suits. — (" Hellespont.") 



THE NO TRUMPS DECLARATION 

HOLDINGS JUSTIFYING IT AT SCORE OF LOVE-ALL, ACCORDING 
TO DIFFERENT AUTHORITIES 

Four Aces. All writers and most players have assumed that 
one must necessarily declare No Trumps when holding 
four Aces ("a hundred Aces"). 
I have not been able to find a hand in which it is wrong, at 
any state of the score, to declare No Trumps when hold- 
ing the four Aces. — {W. H. Whitfeld.) Notes 1 and 2. 

Three Aces, whatever the other cards may be. — (Hulme-Bea- 
man.) 

Three Aces considered, jeu de regie, a No Trumps hand even 
when there is not another court card in it. — {Saturday 
Review.) 

Three Aces, with even less than five good cards. — {'' Templar.''') 

Three Aces, unless the hand contains six Hearts to two honours, 
or five Hearts to three honours, one of which is the Ace of 
Hearts. — {Foster.) 

Three Aces, except when declarant holds six or more Hearts, 
when the latter call is more advantageous. — (" Helles- 
pont.'') 

Three Aces usually make declaration a compulsory one — sans 
atout force — although with a fine red suit and one suit bare, 
it would be folly to make the declaration. — {"Lynx.") 



22 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Tiuo Aces and a guarded suit. — (Elivell.) 

Two Aces and good cards — such as King, Queen, Knave or 
King, Knave, Ten — in one other suit. — (Dalton.) 

Two Aces in addition to a guarded King or Queen in another 
suit, with the probabihty of taking at least four tricks. — 
(Street.) 

Two Aces and protection in another suit; or, two Aces — one 
being at head of an estabhshed suit of not less than five 
cards. — (Steele.) 

Two Aces and protection in a third suit — as, for example. King, 
Queen, and one small; King, Knave, and one small; King 
and two small; Queen, Knave, Ten. — (Foster.) 

Two Aces, besides a King and a Queen, makes hand better than 
three Aces. (Two Aces and a King, or one Ace and two 
Kings, not sound as no trumpers.) — (Bergholt.) 

Two Aces, a King and Queen to five, or even four, cards of 
third suit. — ("Slam.'') 

Two Aces and one King, if either have four cards with an 
honour behind one of them. — (Hulme-Beaman.) 

Two Aces, when holding suit of King, Queen, Knave, and two 
others, or King, Queen, and three others; also when the 
two Aces are accompanied by three Kings, one being 
guarded; Hkewise, when with the two Aces are three 
Queens, provided that the two suits not headed with an Ace 
are guarded. — (" Templar.'') 

One Ace and a good all-round hand — something of value in 
every suit. — (Dalton.) 

One Ace with protection in the other three suits and Hkelihood 
of taking at least four tricks. — (Steele and Street.) 

One Ace should not be considered a no trumper unless all the 
other suits are exceptionally strong or are very well pro- 
tected. — (Foster.) 

One Ace with three Kings; or, an Ace with two Kings, if any of 



THE DECLARATION 23 

these three have four cards behind them. — {Hulme-Bea- 

man.) 
One Ace and three other guarded suits; or, one Ace and one 

black suit which includes Ace, King, Queen, and three 

others or better. — (Elwell.) 
One Ace and a very long-established suit headed by tierce major 

(Ace, King, Queen) and a guarded King or Queen in 

another suit. — {Fisher Ames.) 
One Ace heading a long suit with two other suits well guarded, 

or when the Ace is accompanied by either all the Kings or 

by all the Queens guarded. — (" Templar.'') 
One Ace and three Kings, all fairly guarded; or, one Ace, King, 

Queen to five or more Diamonds, Clubs, or Spades, and 

another Ace — but, with one Ace, King, Queen to five or 

more Hearts, latter suit should be declared; Hkewise, one 

Ace and two King-Queen suits all fairly guarded with 

but Httle else. — {''Slam.'') 
Without an Ace. Player should have a phenomenal hand in 

court cards — such, for example, as both black suits long 

and both red suits protected, with score such as it would 

be impossible to win game with a black trump. — {Foster.) 

Note 3. 
Without an Ace, it is scarcely ever sound to declare No 

Trumps. — {Elwell and Robertson.) 
Without an Ace, no trumps should be declared only with four 

guarded suits, and a hand containing eight picture cards 

of which seven should be Kings or Queens. — {Atchison 

and Lindsell.) 
Without an Ace, every suit should be securely guarded. That 

is a sine qua non for the declaration without an ace. A 

hand containing four guarded Kings, unsupported by any 

Queens or Knaves, is emphatically not a No Trumps 

hand at love-all. — {Sporting News.) 



24 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Four Kings, if well guarded, as the four Aces are not likely to 
be held in one hand against the dealer. — (" Templar.") 

Four Kings and, say, two Queens, or one Queen and two 
Knaves — as chance of four Aces being held ac^ainst vou is 
5^ to l.—(DaIton.) 

Six Honours, including an Ace (and not a Knave or Ten, 
unless they are guarded) ; or any Ace and a black suit of six 
cards, including Ace, King, Queen; or any eight honours, 
not including the Ten but including the King if guarded. — 
(Smith.) 

Note 1. — ^The followiag hand, held at Brighton some years ago, was sent to 
London for the opinion of three good players, who all, separately, decided the 
proper declaration at iove-all to be Hearts, viz.: Hearts — ^A., Kg., Kv., 10, 9, 8; 
Diamonds — ^A., Qu., J.; Clubs — ^A., Qu., 3; Spades — Ace. Dealer could not 
well lose game; he might lose two by-cards, against eight diamonds iu one hand 
and the Queen of Hearts doubly guarded. — {Badsworth). 

Note 2. — The odds before the deal are 378 to 1 against any given player 
holding the four Aces; after one player has looked at his cards and found no Ace 
among them, the odds are 114 to 1. — {The Field.) 

Note 3. — "Portland" names the following interesting hand on which the 
dealer very justifiably declared No Trumps, although not holding an Ace, viz.: 
Hearts — ^Kg., 3, 2; Diamonds — ^Kg., 7, 6, 5; Clubs — ^Kg., 10, 2; Spades — ^Kg., 
Qu., 10, Captain Beasley gives two others: Hearts — Kg., Kv., 10; Diamonds — 
Kg., 2; Clubs— Kg., Kv., 9; Spades— Kg., Qu., Kv., 10, 3; also. Hearts— Kg., 
10; Diamonds— Qu., 8, 7; Clubs— Kg., Qu., 10, 3, 2; Spades— Kg., Qu., 8. 



THE NO TRUMPS DECLARATION BY 
THE DUMMY 

As, on the passed or "left" declaration, the dummy is 
naturally led to beheve that the dealer holds neither four nor 
three Aces; likewise, neither five nor four honours in Hearts; 
nor great strength in Diamonds, he should declare No Trumps 
when holding: (1) four Aces; (2) three Aces, with strong cards 
in the red suits; (3) two red Aces, with full protection in one of 



THE DECLARATION 25 

the other suits, as his partner is hkely to be strong in one of the 
black suits ;^ (4) one Ace, when all the other suits are 
properly guarded; (5) four Kings, with stronger support than 
is required when they are held for the declaration by the dealer 
{which latter requisite attaches to all of dummy's declarations). — 
(" Templar.") 

A passed No Trumps make, without two Aces, rarely does 
much good, and, with one Ace, it is a very extreme measure; 
all four Kings is an absolute necessity, and three of them should 
have some backing. — (Dalton.) 



THE ROBERTSON RULE 

By this Robertson, or Robertsonian, Rule, as it is now taught 
in India and as it was originally published with other Bridge 
axioms by Robertson and Wollaston at Calcutta during the 
year 1902, the Ace is made to count 7, a King 5, a Queen 3, a 
Knave 2, and a Ten 1 ; all of these making up together what is 
called an average hand — a total of 18, and not 16 as some au- 
thors have had it. 

When any such cards in the hand collectively represent a 
total of 21 (as, for instance, 3 Aces, or 1 Ace, 1 King, and 3 
Queens, or 4 Kings and 1 Ten) with at least three of the suits 
well protected (a King to have at least one guard, a Queen to 
have at least two, a Knave three) the hand is deemed to repre- 
sent generally the minimum strength for a justifiable original 
No Trumps declaration at love-all. For the dummy, however, 
the count should properly come to at least 22. 

"Ace of Spades," who says that the general principle is 

^ It would be unwise to declare No Trumps with the two black Aces, unless 
both the red suits are guarded, except when one is headed by King, Queen, 
Knave, and two others, or King, Queen, and three others. 



26 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

never to pass on a hand which counts 21 or more, however the 
counting cards may be distributed, Hmits the minimum strength 
warranting the No Trumps call for dummy to at least 23, making, 
of course, allowance for very exceptional holdings. 

The Robertson scale of values, which is based upon the 
mathematical laws of chance, should not, however, be applied 
to either an Ace singleton, a King singleton, or an unguarded 
Queen, in which cases the values of each are reduced to 4, 2, 
and 1 respectively. 

Suits footing up 21, as above, are called by Robertson 
classical no trumpers. There are, besides, two other classes of 
combinations, not embracing three guarded suits, which justify 
a No Trumps declaration, and which he calls sporting no 
trumpers.^ These include combinations according to what 
is known as the Seven Rule, and likewise such combinations 
as total up 24 points but with two missing or unguarded 
suits. 

With regard to the classical no trumpers, it is stated that a 
No Trumps declaration will be theoretically correct if the 
number of tricks held plus the number of suits guarded come 
to seven or more, as, for example, four tricks and three suits 
guarded, five tricks and two suits guarded, six tricks and one 
suit guarded; this is why it has been called the Seven Rule. As 
remarked by "Ace of Spades," the latter embraces such a case 
as holding a sixieme major in Spades and no other court card, 
or a quint major in Spades and, say, the King of either Hearts, 
Clubs, or Diamonds guarded, and so on. Dummy should em- 
ploy the Seven Rule very cautiously and avoid declaring No 
Trumps, even when holding ^we tricks and two guarded suits, 
unless one of the latter is a red one. But, if both the guarded 
suits are red and not long ones. No Trumps is, of course, the 
proper declaration on a "pass." — (Robertson and Wollaston.) 

^ A very sporty notrumper is in many places known as an '* Addington." 



THE DECLARATION 27 

With the above-named second class of combinations, which 
do not come under the Seven Rule, although totalling 24, but with 
two suits unprotected and no material strength in red suits, the 
make is, of course, not so safe. Yet the partner must always be 
counted upon for something, and the score should to any ordinary 
player determine the proper course of action. ^ 

The collective total of 24 points is very strongly endorsed 
by "Cut-Cavendish," but Captain H. M. Beasley has recently 
introduced a formula of his own, which, he says, he has found 
to work quite well on a total of only 20 for the honours with three 
suits guarded. He values. Ace 6, King 4, Queen 3, Knave 2, 
Ten 1. Using this formula, the "bare three Ace, No Trump" 
is not a No Trumps call, but two Aces (or three Kings) besides 
two Queens and one Knave, or one Ace, one King, two Queens, 
and two Knaves, would thus constitute a justifiable no trumper 
— ^with, of course, the three protected suits. 



THE HEARTS DECLARATION 

HOLDINGS JUSTIFYING IT AT THE SCORE OF LOVE-ALL, ACCORD- 
ING TO VARIOUS AUTHORITIES 

Four honours — as the honour score of 64 is naturally a very 

valuable one. 
Ace, King, and two small, besides one Ace. — (Bergholt and 

Melrose.) 
Ace, King, and four others. — (" Templar.") 

' In The Australasian, Melbourne, December 30, 1905, there is repro- 
duced from The Field of London, the following: Dealer held — Hearts, 
Kv.; Diamonds, A., Kg., 5; Clubs, A., Qu., 10, 2; Spades, Kg., Kv., 9, 4, 3, and 
declared No Trumps at love-all, but lost the odd trick although holding guarded 
suits, well-established Spades, and as much as 32 calculated by the Robertson 
Rule. The dummy's hand was: Hearts, Qu., 7, 6, 5; Diamonds, 9, 8, 4; Clubs, 
Kg., 7, 5; Spades, 10, 5, 2. 



28 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Ace, King, to five Hearts, or King, Queen, Knave, to ^\e 

Hearts. — (" Slam.") 
Ace, King, Queen, besides another King guarded. — (Dunn.) 
Ace, King, Queen, and one small, besides a King guarded. — 

(Melrose.) 
Ace, King, Queen, and two others; or. Ace, King, Queen, and 

one other, if accompanied by court cards in other suits. 

— (" Templar.") 
Ace, King, Knave, and one small, in addition to one Ace, or 

King and Queen of a suit. — (Melrose.) 
Seven Hearts. — (Street.) 
Seven Hearts lower than the Ten will make five tricks, where 

the other six trumps are equally divided; will, however, 

rarely happen. — (" Pontifex.") 
Six Hearts with one honour. — (Bergholt, Saturday Review, 

''Slam," Steele, and Street.) 
Six Hearts with one honour and an honour in another suit 

protected. — (Fisher Ames.) 
Six Hearts with one honour and protection in other suits. — 

(Elwell.) 
Six Hearts with one honour higher than the Ten. — (Saturday 

Review and Mainwaring.) 
Six Hearts with two honours. — (" Templar.") 
Six Hearts with or without honours. — ("Ace of Spades" and 

"Badsworth.") 
Six Hearts with two honours, one being the Ace or King. — 

(Metcalfe.) 
Five Hearts with two honours, if accompanied by court cards 

in other suits. — (" Templar.") 
Five Hearts with two honours and at least one trick in side 

suits. — (Street.) 
Five Hearts with two honours and one protected suit. — (Fisher 

Ames.) 



THE DECLARATION 29 

Five Hearts with two honours and some protection in other 
suits; or, five Hearts including one honour, with good five- 
card plain suit or with some protection in other suits. — 
{Elwell) 

Five Hearts with two honours and no other strength. — (''Ace of 
Spades.") 

Five Hearts with two honours other than Knave, Ten, and two 
possible tricks in other suits; or, five Hearts headed by Ace 
or King and two certain or three probable tricks in other 
suits; or, again, either five moderate, or four good Hearts 
headed by King or Queen, besides such strength in Dia- 
monds as shows improbability of partner's ability to call 
anything but a black suit. — (JDalton.) 

Five Hearts with two honours constitute a fair declaration; 
with but one honour it is a weak suit to declare, especially 
if latter is not an Ace. — ("Lynx.") 

Five Hearts with two honours and a side trick. — (Steele.) 

Five Hearts with two honours, one of which should be Ace, 
King, or Queen, and three extremely probable tricks 
outside of trumps; or, three tricks in trumps and two 
extremely probable tricks outside of trumps. — ("Helles- 
pont.") 

Four Hearts with three honours and three tricks in side suits. — 
(Steele and Street.) 

Four Hearts with three honours and one protected suit. — (Fisher 
Ames.) 

Four Hearts with three honours and some protection in other 
suits, or four honours with or without protection in other 
suits. — (Elwell.) 

Four Hearts with three honours and two certain or three prob- 
able tricks outside them. — (Dalton.) 
Make it a Hearts declaration when the hand is worth three 

tricks certain and one trick probable. — (Dunn and "Leigh.") 



30 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

For the Hearts call, one should hold: seven hearts with or 
without honours, six with one honour, five with three honours, 
or four which are all honours besides some tricks in the other 
suits. — (Keily.) 

A genuine Hearts hand should contain five probable tricks, 
such as King, Queen, 8, 6, 3, or King, Knave, 10, 6, 3; if, how- 
ever, you hold King, Knave, 8, 6, 3, it would be better to leave 
declaration to your partner. — (Bergholt.) 

Dealer should have reasonable chance for five tricks in his 
hand before deciding to make it Hearts. — {'' Badsworth.") 

The Hearts declaration should be made very cautiously by 
dummy with a suit of five, not including at least Ace, King or 
King, Queen — unless holding a hand otherwise quite strong, 
although not sufficiently so to justify a No Trumps make. While 
with a fair hand in other respects, an original declaration could 
be made on Knave, Ten, and three others, the dummy declara- 
tion should have a Queen or a small card in addition. — (" Tem- 
plar.'') 

The Asian, Calcutta, June 9, 1906, says that the following 
table will be found to cover all genuine Hearts declarations at 
the score of love-all. The dealer should declare Hearts when hold- 
ing: I, (a) any four honours, (6) five, with three honours includ- 
ing either the Ace or the King, (c) six, with one honour higher 
than the Ten, however bad may be the rest of his hand; II, (a) 
^Ye, headed by Ace, (b) five, headed by either King, Queen or 
King, Knave, (c) five, headed by either Queen, Knave or Queen, 
Ten; with two probable tricks in other suits; III, (a) five, 
headed by either King or Queen, (b) four, with three honours, 
including Ace or King, with three probable tricks in other suits. 
In the same number of The Asian, the Hearts declaration is 
recommended at love-all when holding three Aces in such hands 
as following: Hearts, Ace, Ten, 8, 7, 6, 2; Diamonds, Ace, 9; 
Clubs, Ten, 3; Spades, Ace, Knave, 5. 



THE DECLARATION 31 



THE DIAMONDS DECLARATION 

HOLDINGS JUSTIFYING IT AT THE SCORE OF LOVE-ALL, 
ACCORDING TO VARIOUS AUTHORITIES 

The four honours^ any of them.^ — (" Templar.'') 

The four top honours. — (Melrose.) 

Ace, King, Queen, and one small, besides an Ace. — {Melrose.) 

Ace, King, Queen, besides another King guarded. — {Dunn.) 

Ace, Queen, Knave, and two small, besides a King guarded. — 

{Melrose.) 
King, Queen, Knave, Ten, besides a King guarded. — {Melrose.) 
Seven Diamonds, including one honour. — (" Templar.'") 
Seven Diamonds or more, even without a court card. — (^'Hel- 
lespont.") 
Seven Diamonds with some strength in another suit. — (Met- 
calfe.) 
Six Diamonds, with either Ace, King or King, Queen, and 

some support in at least one suit. — (" Templar.") 
Six Diamonds or more, with two honours. — (Dalton.) 
Six Diamonds or more, not self-established and nothing else — 
only kind of a hand, with rare exceptions, on which original 
protective Diamonds call by dealer is justiiSable. — (" Ace of 
Spades.") 
Six Diamonds, including one honour and some protection in the 

other suits. — (Elwell.) 
Six Diamonds, irrespective of the remainder of hand. Same 
applies to Hearts. — {''John Doe.") 

^ Even though holding four honours, make it No Trumps if possible. The 
Diamonds declaration by dealer is a proverbially unlucky one, and more hands 
apparently go to pieces on bad Diamonds makes than on anything else. — 
(Foster.) 



32 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Six Diamonds with one honour, whatever the strength of the 
hand may otherwise be. — (The Field.) 

Six Diamonds with two honours ; deemed insufficient by French 
players, though cards in other suits are good. — {" Ponti- 
fexr) 

Five Diamonds with three honours and some other assist- 
ance; five Diamonds with two honours, even Ace and 
King, and httle or nothing else is not a declaration at all. 
— {Dalton.) 

Five Diamonds with three honours. — (Street.) 

Five Diamonds with two or three honours, whatever the 
strength of the hand may be in other respects. — (The 
Field.) 

Five Diamonds with two honours, even without an outside 
trick. This also applies to the Hearts declaration. — 
(Robertson.) 

Five Diamonds and two honours, if hand contains five pretty 
certain tricks. — (" Hellespont.^') 

Five Diamonds with two honours, the Ace and King, war- 
rant the declaration, but five with two lesser honours " enter 
into somewhat debatable territory." — (''Lynx.") 

Five Diamonds, including two honours and some protection in 
the other suits. — (Elwell.) 

Five Diamonds with three good honours. — (Street.)'^ 

Five Diamonds, including Ace, King or King, Queen, and two 
honours above the Ten in Hearts. — (Fisher Ames.) 

Four Diamonds, including four honours, with or without pro- 
tection in other suits. — (Elwell.) 

^ Diamonds should be called by dummy on: Ace, King, Ten, and two others, 
with little else (which is unlikely to be doubled) ; or on five diamonds headed by 
the King, Queen, with one King and two Queens. — (Saturday Reiriew.) Dummy 
should declare Diamonds only when holding at least six with one honour, or four 
honours, or when he can count five tricks in his hand. — (" Templar.") 



THE DECLARATION 33 

Four Diamonds. — With four Diamonds, other than tour hon- 
ours. Diamonds should never be declared at score of love- 
all. — (" Hellespont.'') 

The lightest hand on which Diamonds, or Hearts, should be 
declared is three certain tricks and one probable. — {"Leigh.") 

Under the caption of "Interesting questions about fatal 
Diamond makes," in the New York Sun of March 3 and No- 
vember 17, 1901, Mr. Foster gives the opinions of six writers 
(" Badsworth," Dunn, Foster, Keily, Melrose, Street) as to 
declaring Diamonds at the score of love-all on the first or last 
game of the rubber, and admits that they present "quite a 
variety of advice to select from." 



THE DECLARATION OF BLACK SUITS BY 
THE DEALER 

Score is the only excuse for a black declaration on the part 
of the dealer — better pass the make to the dummy. — (Elwell.) 

Some say, never to declare a black suit at all, yet the game 
has been won with: Clubs, Ace, Queen, Knave, 9, 5, 4, 3 and 
another Ace. — (Bergholt.) 

" John Doe " does not accept the common view that dealer 
should never declare a black suit. 

Mr. Foster remarks that the original black makes are viewed 
rather favourably throughout India — that "hot-bed of Bridge 
players." 



34 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



THE CLUBS DECLARATION 

The Clubs declaration, which must be considered a defen- 
sive one, should never be made unless there is weakness in the 
other three suits, when, with seven including four honours, or 
with six and quart major, it is advisable to declare it. — (" Tem- 
j)lar."y 

Clubs should only be declared by the dealer, with six or 
more, including four honours and nothing else. — (Dalton.) 

When the score is 18 or more, and you hold a fine Clubs suit 
but a poor hand otherwise, declare Clubs, even when you are the 
dealer, for you need but three tricks to win in that suit. — {Sat- 
urday Review.) 

" Deuce of Diamonds," some time since, transmitted to The 
Field an extract from the Bombay Times of India, which con- 
tains an exceedingly interesting and detailed account of his 
experiments into the merits of a defensive Clubs declaration 
made by the dealer, when holding: Hearts, 8, 4; Diamonds, 7, 3; 
Clubs, 10, 9, 8, 6, 4, 2; Spades, 7, 5, 2; instead of making the 
declaration Spades according to all the authorities. He adds: 
" I do not know what may be the principles adopted in English 
card-playing circles regarding the prophylactic declaration, but 
here, in India, where Bridge flourishes with the greatest vigour, 
we have quite cast aside the dogmas of the text-books and have 
developed a system of our own based on a priori common-sense 
declarations." 

Clubs should always be declared by the dealer when he holds 

^"Badsworth" in his latest volume remarks that the hands in which 
you hope to get three or four by -cards in Clubs are generally suggestive of No 
Trumps, and it so rarely happens that an original Clubs declaration with the 
score at love-all is judicious that ordinary social players may well regard Clubs 
as the last weapon of attack from that position. He adds: / do not find it expe- 
dient to make this Clubs declaration more than once in fifty rubbers. 



THE DECLARATION 35 

five or six with four honours and cannot make any other declara- 
tion. — (" Helles'pont.") 

When dealer holds King, Queen, Knave, and Ten of Clubs, 
and neither a six-card suit nor another remotely probable trick, 
he should declare Clubs defensively, for sake of the 32 honour 
score. — {Robertson.) 

Clubs good to declare when holding four, all honours; or 
five — Ace, King, and three small ; or. Queen, Knave, Ten, and 
two small. — {"Lynx.'') 

THE SPADES DECLARATION 

Whether an original declaration of Spades should ever be 
made at score of love-all has been and is still a matter of con- 
troversy among players and writers. — (" Templar.'') 

An original Spades make is justifiable in only two cases. 
One is when but two points are needed for game, and the other 
is when you have already won the first game and have a hand 
without a possible trick in it. In the last-named case, to prevent 
your partner trying either a No Trumper or a Hearts make in 
which you could not aid him. — {Street.) 

Declare Spades only when holding not more than four of 
any suit, or five small ones and no other certain tricks {Hulme- 
Beaman) or when six points are needed to win game. — {Elwell.) 

Dealer should undoubtedly declare Spades at love-all when 
he holds a Yarborough and not more than four cards in any 
suit, for he could not, with such, help dummy's hand in any 
possible manner. — {Dunn.) 

With an evenly divided hand containing nothing above a 
Ten, dealer should declare Spades, for he cannot win a single 
trick with his own cards, whatever his partner declares, and he 
should not expect dummy to fight his adversaries unaided. — 
{Steele.) 



36 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Better to lose five by-cards in Spades (10) than the odd trick 
in No Trumps (12). At love-all, however great your strength 
may be in Spades, pass rather than declare that suit. — (Berg- 
holt.) 

When dealer's hand lacks the value of one certain trick — 
that is, a total of 7 — he should declare Spades, although it natu- 
rally indicates weakness and is likely to be doubled. — {Robert- 
son.) 

THE SPADES CONVENTION 

In many clubs, it is now customary not to play an undoubled 
Spades declaration, unless maker's score is 20 or over. When 
either score is 20 or more, or when the make is doubled, the 
hand is played as usual. When the hand is not played, the 
maker scores the value of one trick, two points, and the honours 
are credited as held. 

"The Spades convention has caught on in this countrs^ 
(England) and is becoming so universal that its objectors w^ill 
soon be left in a very small minority." — {Ilhistrated Sporting 
News.) 

DECLARATIONS BY DUMMY 

It should be borne in mind that all declarations can be made 
by the dummy on much less strength than would be required 
by the dealer. The dummy must value the honour score, but 
the dealer need not, for his game should be an attacking one. — 
{Saturday Review.) 

The dummy should naturally regard dealer's hand as prob- 
ably stronger in black than in red — his passing being tacit ad- 
mission that he is weak in the red suits. — {Steele.) 



THE DECLARATION 37 

In an original declaration, you look at your cards first, then 
at the score; at passed hand, the reverse. — (Foster.) 

The Clubs declaration should not be made by dummy unless 
he holds six tricks, for, if doubled, tricks are worth 8, and the 
game can thus be lost. — (" Templar.'') 

Mr. Bergholt says he not long ago saw the declaration left 
to dummy by the dealer who stood 24 to love. The dummy 
(a very good player) declared Spades on the following: Hearts, 
Ten, 7, 6, 5; Diamonds, Knave, Ten, 9, 3; Clubs, Ten, 9, 8, 7; 
Spades, 5, and the declaration was indorsed by a majority of 
those present. 

Mr. Whitf eld has given out the following : Hearts, Knave, 
Ten, 5; Diamonds, 8, 6; Clubs, King, Queen, 9, 8, 2; Spades, 
9, 5, 3, on which dummy declared Clubs. With reference to the 
last-named hand, " Hellespont " says : " He must declare Spades, 
unless he holds only one or two small Spades and has at least 
five Clubs with two honours " ; while Dalton remarks : " Do not 
be tempted to declare Clubs because you have perhaps only two 
little Spades and four or five Clubs without a trick outside 
them." 



DECLARATIONS TO THE SCORE BY THE 
DEALER 

It has very happily been said by Mr. Foster that playing 
to the score is a sort of thirty-third degree only open to those 
who have passed through all the lower grades. 

Variations in the state of the score affect the game of Bridge 
more than they do any other card game. When dealer's score 
is 12 or 18, he can declare Diamonds, as he needs only two or 
three by-cards to win: when he holds a fairly good hand pro- 
tected in all suits — without particular strength in any — he 



38 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

should declare No Trumps at score of love; but at the score of 
22 or 24, it would be safer to pass. Likewise, with the score 
at a game and 24 to love against the dealer, he should not 
think of making a red suit, but he should again leave it to his 
partner. — {Saturday Review.) 

If the score w^arrants the dealer in taking a chance at a 
weak make, it is safer to gamble at No Trumps than at a weak 
red declaration, for at No Trumps the dealer has wider field 
for assistance, as any good suit will help him. On the rubber 
game, T\ath the score very much against him, the dealer should 
declare No Trumps, when holding either: two Aces and a 
guarded Knave; two Aces, one suit being Ace, King; one Ace, 
a guarded King or Queen, and a King Queen suit; one Ace and 
two guarded suits (King or Queen); or one long-estabHshed 
black suit and a guarded King. — (Elwell.) 

At the score of 2 to 4, it is practically the same as if it were 
love; at the score of 6, game can be won with tw^o tricks in No 
Trumps, three in Hearts or four in Diamonds; at the score of 
12, Diamonds are as good as Hearts to win game; at the score 
of 14 or 16, Hearts are as good as No Trumps to win game; at 
the score of 18 or 20, when good cards are held T\dthout a long 
suit, No Trumps should be declared. Otherwise, the long suit. 
At this score, clubs begin to be useful. At the score of 24, 
a declaration of Hearts or of Diamonds is recommended if the 
Ace, King, Queen, and another are held — unless the hand is 
otherwise bad — as a suit of four cards with tierce major is far 
stronger than that of five with one honour, even though it be 
the Ace. — (" Templar.'') 

With score 22 to 18 against you, and holding equal strength 
in Hearts and Diamonds, declare latter; with scores reversed, 
make it Hearts. With score at 14 or over, a No Trumps hand 
containing five or six Hearts had better give way to the safer 
Hearts declaration. — (" Cut-Cavendish.'') 



THE DECLARATION 39 

DECLARATIONS TO THE SCORE BY THE 
DUMMY 

When the declaration is left to dummy, at the score of games- 
all and 24 all, he should declare his best suit, even though no 
better than King and three others. — {Saturday Review.) 

When the opponents have scored 6 or more, if dummy is 
not reasonably certain of six tricks in his hand with any other 
declaration than Spades, he should declare latter. If his op- 
ponents are 24, and it is the deciding game of the rubber at a 
low score, he should make the same light No Trumps as would 
the dealer. But if, again, in last game of rubber, both sides 
stand at 24, he should, for want of a No Trumps hand, declare 
his longest suit, whatever that may be. — (" Templar.^') 



40 



THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 





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DOUBLING AND REDOUBLING 

Mr. Dalton justly points out that doubling at Bridge is al- 
ways attended by two grave dangers: (1) the adversaries have, 
naturally, the option of redoubling, and (2) doubhng a suit dec- 
laration, in particular, affords enormous assistance to the dealer 
by indicating to him where the strength in trumps lies — ^just 
what he wants to know and what the opponents should con- 
ceal by every means in their power. 

One rule governs all doubles, and that is that the doubler's 
partner is to subordinate his hand to that of the doubler, either 
without trumps or when a trump suit has been declared. — 
(^' Hellespont y) 



DOUBLING NO TRUMPS AS LEADER 

As leader, you double No Trumps with at least seven cer- 
tain tricks, and not otherwise. — (^' Ace of Spades.") 

If leader has seven certain or extremely probable tricks, he 
should, naturally, always double. . . . When leader doubles No 
Trumps on a long suit and is redoubled by the declarer, he 
should not, of course, again redouble except on an absolute 
certainty, as, even if he holds eight headed by Ace, King, and 
Queen, the remaining five cards of same suit may be held by 
one player. In a recent game the leader is reported to have 
held: Hearts, none; Diamonds, Ace, Queen, Knave, Ten, 9; 
Clubs, Ace; Spades, Ace, Queen, Knave, Ten, 5, 4, 2. Dealer 
made it No Trumps, and the leader doubled ; but as the dealer 
and dummy held both the King of Diamonds and the King of 



DOUBLING AND REDOUBLING 47 

Spades, they won with their Hearts and Clubs. It was a bad 
double, although made in accordance with the prevailing rules. 
— {Saturday Review.) 

To double No Trumps, you should hold six sure tricks and 
a probable seventh. — {Foster and Steele.) 

You should never redouble No Trumps unless you can make 
sure of seven tricks in your own hand, whatever is led. — (" Pon- 
tifex.^') 

An instance is cited where the dealer happening to hold the 
Ace, King, Queen of all three suits — Hearts, Diamonds, and 
Clubs — besides the Ten and three other Spades, declared No 
Trumps and was doubled by the leader, who held Ace, King, 
Queen, Knave, and four other Spades and won the game. — 
(" Templar.'') 

Doubling No Trumps should generally be done by leader, if 
holding either: (1) Ace, King, Queen, and three others in a 
suit; or (2) Ace, King, and four others in a suit, besides another 
Ace; or (3) King, Queen, and four others in a suit with another 
Ace, although the last-named combination is a risky one.^ — 
{Dunn.) 

Two declarations mentioned in the Saturday Review, which 
were redoubled to a maximum of 100 points, are worth record- 
ing here: 

(1) Dealer declared Hearts on: Hearts, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2; 
Diamonds, none; Clubs, Ace, King, Queen, 7, 2; Spades, none. 
Leader held: Hearts, Ace, King, Queen, Knave, Ten; Diamonds, 
Ace, King, 7; Clubs, Ten, 9; Spades, Ace, King, Knave. Dealer 
won by two cards, the leader having made only his five trumps. 

(2) Dealer declared No Trumps on : Hearts, Ace ; Diamonds, 
King, 6; Clubs, Knave, 7, 5, 2; Spades, Ace, King, Queen, 

^ Speaking of so-called risky — very risky — combinations, one is reminded 
of the rule of the Western player who would "always double on the slightest 
provocation and one Ace " ! 



48 THE BRIDGE BEUE BOOK 

Knave, 4, 2. The leader who held: Clubs, Ace, King, Queen, 
and four others, besides Diamonds, Ace, and Queen, played 
his three winning Clubs and then another one, hoping to get 
in his Ace of Diamonds; but he never had the chance and lost 
four by cards = 400 points. Dummy had the two winning 
Hearts as well as the Ten and a small Spade. 

DOUBLING NO TRUMPS AS THIRD PLAYER 

So many opinions prevail concerning the justifiable double 
of No Trumps by third hand that it is difiicult to make a sat- 
isfactory resume of them. It may briefly be said, however, that 
it is generally considered safe for third player to double a No 
Trumps declaration when holding a well-established suit of 
seven and of even six cards. 

One authority deems it advisable for third player to double 
No Trumps when reasonably sure of making six tricks — as he 
well might with either one of such given hands as Ace, King, 
Queen, Knave, and two others, or Ace, King, Queen, and three 
others; even without holding another card with which to secure 
lead, and whether he be a believer in either the Hearts Con- 
vention or in the Short (Weak) Suit Convention. If he be- 
lieves in the latter, he naturally counts upon his own longest 
suit proving to be the short one of his partner. In England, 
it is customary, when third player doubles a No Trumps call, 
for leader to at once play the best card of his shortest suit — 
unless he holds the Ace of another suit, when he should first 
play the latter. 

In the "Elementary Bridge Conventions" adopted by the 
Blenheim Club, London, which are, by permission, reproduced 
herein at page 81, it will be seen that "when third hand has 
doubled a No Trumps declaration, first hand leads the top of 
his shortest weak suit." 



DOUBLING AND REDOUBLING 49 

You should always, on principle, lead to your partner's 
double the top card of your weakest suit. — {"Ace of Spades.'') 

When third hand doubles No Trumps, the leader should 
play his shortest suit — but not one headed by Ace, King, or 
Queen, and preferably a red to a black suit. — ("Dunn.") 

To a double at No Trumps, Captain H. M. Beasley leads 
the highest card from his weakest suit and he says he prefers 
this to the Hearts Convention. So does Mr. Archibald Dunn. 

In the United States, however, where there are more believers 
in the Hearts Convention, whenever the third player doubles a 
No Trumps call it is understood that his partner will at once 
lead his Hearts from the highest downward, whatever number 
he may hold. The last-named Convention enables leader thus 
to throw the lead into hands of third player who would not have 
doubled unless overwhelmingly strong in Hearts, or holding 
the Ace of Hearts besides five or six certain tricks in other suits. 

"Slam," a strong advocate of the Hearts Convention, says 
that the third hand can always double with absolute safety upon 
an established suit and the Ace of Hearts. Then again, he can 
double upon a long suit of Hearts although holding neither the 
Ace nor the King, provided he is well protected in all the other 
suits. 

Having no Hearts, lead your best suit. — (Street.) 

When leader holds an Ace, King, or an Ace, King, Queen 
suit, he should first lead the King and then the high Heart. — 
(Ehvell.) 

In treating of the respective chances of the double of a No 
Trumps call as third player, under the Hearts Convention and 
the Short Suit Convention, Mr. R. H. Cunnington maintains 
that the Short Suit Convention is the better, contrary to the 
theory that when a player doubles it is two to one against the 
desired suit being led. He believes it works out like four to 
one on it, in lieu of odds against it, and he asserts that playing 



50 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

the Short Suit Convention, third hand should not double unless 
he has the Ace, King, Queen, and four others at least of a suit. 
Partner, says he, will be guided in the choice of suits by knowing 
that no suit in which he holds Ace, King, or Queen is the right 
one.^ 

It is not too much to trust that in the fulness of time, the 
weakest suit lead will be altogether abandoned and that the 
Hearts Convention will win the day along the line. — ("Lynx.") 

The short suit doubters object in principle to the Hearts 
lead as a purely arbitrary convention, cramping the game by 
preventing third player from doubling except when he has 
strength in that particular suit. The Hearts doubters, on the 
other hand, contend that if they cannot double No Trumps so 
often, at least they do so, when opportunity arrives, with greater 
certainty of success. In the opinion of the writer, the Hearts 
Convention is the more profitable one to employ; nothing in it 
is left to chance. The one and only danger incurred by the 
doubter is that his partner may have no Heart or Hearts to give 
him. — (Dunn.) 

The following is not a hand on which the leader's partner 
should double a No Trumps make under the Short Suit Con- 
vention, but under the Hearts Convention he would be justified 
doing so, viz.: Hearts, King, Queen, Kjiave, 9, 6, 3; Diamonds, 
Ten, 9, 8; Clubs, 9; Spades, King, 7, 6. — (Sporting News.) 

Following is a curious case, given by the Saturday Revieiv: 
Dealer declared No Trumps and was doubled by the third 
hand. The leader who held: Hearts, 6; Diamonds, Queen, 6, 4, 
2; Clubs, 9, 8, 7; Spades, Knave, 8, 6, 5, 2, was naturally going 

^ The degrading Hearts Convention — which was purely arbitrary', rested 
on no reason, and might as well have been changed any day for a Diamond, 
Club, or Spade Convention — is, I hope, finally and completely discredited. It 
took its rise among the Levantine and Constantinople players, but as the reason 
for its origin has long ceased to exist among English players, tlie Convention alone 
survives, lifeless and indefensible. — C Ace of Spades.'') 



DOUBLING AND REDOUBLING 51 

to lead his 6 of Hearts, but the dummy redoubled and he guessed 
that his partner must have either Hearts or Clubs, presumably 
Hearts, although the dummy would never have redoubled with- 
out likewise possessing some strength in Hearts. He led the 
nine of Clubs and he was right. His partner had seven Clubs 
with the quart major and they won the game. 

In answer to the inquiry of a correspondent as to which 
card should properly be led from 10, 7, 5, 2 of Hearts when the 
leader's partner (the third hand) has doubled No Trumps 
declared by dealer under the Hearts Convention, "Bascule" 
shows why the lead of neither the 2 nor of the intermediate 
cards would be advisable, and he well explains the reason for 
always preferably adhering to the accepted rule of leading the 
highest Heart. In the above-named instance it turned out that 
dummy held the 6, the third player, Ace, King, Queen, 4, 3, and 
the dealer, Knave, 9, 8. 

DOUBLING A SUIT DECLARATION 

In case you double, are redoubled, and think of redoubling 
again, you must expect to find your partner without one trick. 
Double freely to the score, warily otherwise. In order to double 
either Hearts, Diamonds, or Clubs, you should see five and 
possibly six tricks, and to double Spades, you should see four 
and possibly five tricks, in your hand. Spades is the only suit 
that can be doubled without trump strength. — (Steele.) 

You should, however, when holding only two or three Spades, 
have great strength in the other suits, especially at the score of 
love-all. It is hardly necessary to say that, with the score of 
24 against you, you will not chance doubling Spades, any more 
than you would make a risky Hearts or Diamonds declaration, 
when the loss of a point would give the game to your adver- 



52 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

In order to double: In Hearts or Diamonds — ^you should 
see five sure tricks and a probable sixth, three of the tricks be- 
ing trumps. In Clubs — you should see five tricks and a prob- 
able sixth, at least two being trumps. In Spades — ^you should 
see four tricks and a probable fifth, one at least being trumps. 
—(Foster.) 

Unless a player, seemingly, has six very probable tricks in 
his hand (with a minimum of four trumps and two high hon- 
ours) he should not double even black suit trumps. — (" Helles- 
font.'') 

Four trumps with two honours, or five with one honour, 
are the minimum trump strength on which you should double. 
— ('' Pontifex.'') 

It may be added that when your partner doubles Hearts, 
Diamonds, or Clubs and plays after the declarer, you ought to 
lead him your highest trump, for he will then have the advan- 
tage of playing over his adversary's trump strength. If, how- 
ever, your partner plays before, you should lead him your best 
suit. When your partner doubles Spades, hold the first trick, 
if you can, till dummy's hand is exposed and suggests your 
further leads. 

If, after a pass, your partner has doubled in anything but 
No Trumps, lead him a trump, as has been said later on, for 
you lead up to positive strength. — {Hulme-Beaman.) 

As Hearts and Diamonds are not generally declared unless 
the declarer either holds five of the suit or has a hand which, 
one way or other, contains five probable tricks, it is for that 
reason necessary, in order to double a red suit, that the doubler 
should have a hand distinctly better than this. His hand 
should contain at least six probable tricks. — {Badminton Mag- 
azine and " Templar.^') 

Mr. Elwell says that a player should hold in his hand: to 
double Spades, four tricks and a possible fifth ; to double Hearts, 



DOUBLING AND REDOUBLING 53 

Diamonds, or Clubs, five tricks and a possible sixth; and to 
double No Trumps, six tricks and a possible seventh^Spades, 
as is well known, being the only suit that can be doubled when 
w^eak in trumps. If Hearts, Diamonds, or Clubs have been 
doubled and dummy is the maker, it is well to lead trumps 
when you hold no short suit and cannot thus use trumps for 
ruffing, but if the dealer is the maker, it is inadvisable to lead 
trumps. When leading trumps, lead always the top of two or 
three and the lowest of four. 

Dummy should redouble when an original red suit make 
is doubled, provided he can see three tricks in his hand, say, 
for example, the Ace of one suit and the Ace, King of another, 
as it is evident that the trump suit is divided between the dealer 
and the leader, and that the three tricks of dummy can easily 
turn the scale. 

"Lennard Leigh" quotes the following very interesting sit- 
uation, reproduced from the New York Herald, to illustrate 
how excessive trump strength may prove a very disastrous 
snare. Leader held: Hearts, Ace, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2; Diamonds, 
6; Clubs, Knave, Ten, 8; Spades, 4, and doubled Hearts with 
score 10 to 0. The dealer held: Hearts, King, Queen, Knave, 
Ten; Diamonds, Ace, Ten; Clubs, Ace, King, Queen, 4; Spades, 
Ten, 7, 2, and took seven tricks with his own hand while dummy 
captured another with the Ace of Spades. 



THE LEADS AT BRIDGE 

The First — Original — Opening — Lead 

We have now come to what is considered by some the most 
difficult feature or problem in Bridge, in fact of greater im- 
portance than the declaration — that is, the original lead before 
the dummy's hand has been laid upon the table. 

The very able successor of the late lamented " Cavendish," 
on the staff of The Field, Mr. W. H. Whitfeld, has truly said 
that no part of the game, perhaps, gives rise to more contro- 
versy than does the initial lead, and that there certainly is no 
question on which more decided and more diverse expressions 
of opinion are maintained. Having regard to the confficting 
views of different schools, he was loath to express himself defi- 
nitely, but, nevertheless, he finally went into the matter very 
fully; and, up to the present time, no other writer has enunciated 
sounder views on the subject than those contained in his long 
series of newspaper articles first published during the year 1902. 

He therein states that there are two parts to the question 
of the best suit to lead from — the lead from a short suit as 
compared with the lead from a long one, and the lead from a 
suit weak in high cards as compared with the lead from a suit 
strong in high cards. He illustrates the extent to which a short 
suit lead is Hkely to lose tricks, shows what is to be gained by 
leading from a two-card suit, compares the lead from a worth- 
less long suit with the lead from one containing the King,^ 

* When the player leads from the King, in thirteen cases out of a hundred 
he will be unable to take the trick, in forty-three cases he will take one trick, 
in twenty-eight cases two tricks, and in sixteen cases three tricks. 

54 



THE LEADS AT BRIDGE 55 

considers the lead from a long suit containing the Queen, and 
gives the principal positions in which the lead from the Queen 
may lose a trick, detailing also the number of times that the 
player can either make tricks in the suit or force out a trump. 
The result, he says, so far as regards the lead of a small card 
from a long suit is that it is generally immaterial what the hold- 
ing in the suit may be, with one exception, and this is that the 
lead from an unsupported Queen is to be avoided. Those cases 
in which a high card is led from a sequence are advantageous, 
with the possible exception of the lead from King, Knave, Ten. 

With regard to the treatment of suits headed by the Ace, 
the conclusion is reached that in opening a suit of four or more 
cards, the Ace should be led first, as a general rule, when a red 
suit has been declared trumps. A possible exception is when 
the leader holds both Ace and Knave. The advantage of lead- 
ing the Ace, as regards the purpose of retaining the lead for next 
trick, is deemed very small and practically negligible: the lead 
of the suit must, as a rule, stand on its merits in other respects. 

Mr. Whitfeld's series of articles is brought to an end with 
the special consideration of leads from two high cards in se- 
quence, also from a high card accompanied by a card not in 
sequence with it, and the whole is thus summed up: "The only 
definite opinion that can be given is that leads from Ace, Queen, 
Knave and from Ace, Knave are bad and should be avoided, 
and that sequence leads, whether from Ace, King, or from King, 
Queen; or. Queen, Knave, Ten, in a long suit; or. King, Queen 
or Queen, Knave, in a suit of two cards, are sound and should 
be chosen if the player holds such, and that a singleton lead is 
often the best against a red declaration . . . the leads from a 
long suit are, as a rule, better than the leads from a suit of two 
cards . . . leads from a suit of three cards should be avoided 
... a suit of two should only be led when it consists of a se- 
quence to the King or Queen." 



56 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

There is in reality very little to guide the leader between a 
Suit and a No Trumps declaration. At No Trumps it is the 
generally accepted rule that, whether the declaration be made 
by dealer or dummy, the opening lead should invariably be from 
one's numerically strongest suit, whatever it is composed of — 
whether consisting of tenaces or containing no high cards — in 
order to give partner all information possible and to win tricks 
by the aid of such re-entry cards as may be held. In a suit 
make, however, trump strength is shown by the declarer, and it 
would be useless for his adversaries to attempt establishing any 
long suit. They must endeavour to win the needed tricks 
before their small trumps are captured or before dealer is able 
to throw away his small cards. The writer in London Saturday 
Review, who thus expresses himself (and whose anonymity we 
have been asked to maintain), gives it as his opinion that: (1) the 
best of all the original leads against a strong suit make is a 
singleton, provided leader has two or three small trumps, and 
even when holding Ace, King, and others of a suit;^ (2) for 
want of a singleton, lead should be the highest of any sequence; 
(3) when dummy declares a suit, it is well to lead a trump, 
unless strong in the suit; should dummy's declaration be 
either Diamonds, Clubs, or Spades, the Hearts suit is safe to 
open with, especially if leader himself is weak in that suit, for 
leader's partner is likely to have it; (4) when third hand doubles 
suit declaration made by dummy, the highest trump should al- 
ways be led ; double is virtually the old Whist call for trumps,^ 

^ The old Whist objection to the singleton lead, which was not oversound 
even in the days of the cast-iron Cavendishians, has no applicability at all to 
the changed conditions of Bridge. — ("Ace of Spades") 

In the words of The Asian, "Hellespont" smns up dead against the long- 
suit lead. After King leads from Ace, King, etc., he places the singleton as the 
most profitable. 

^ There is no exception to this rule. Nor is there, in reason, any ground for 
the distinction made by some players between the proper doubling of Spades 
or of other suits. — {"Ace of Spades.") 



THE LEADS AT BRIDGE 57 

but when third hand doubles suit declaration made by dealer, 
no trump should, of course, be led, as the declarer is now lying 
over the douMer. 

Against a No Trumps declaration, the very detailed lists of 
recognised original leads from high-card combinations, given 
elsewhere, embrace all such as are approved by the majority of 
the best players in the London Clubs at the present time. One 
of the most acceptable summaries of the rules for such, as made by 
" Ace of Spades, " shows that it is well to lead Ace or Ace, King, 
if by so doing one's long suit is likely to be cleared, but that it is 
unwise to do so without re-entry cards and less than seven. 
This author advises leads, preferably of the middle honour, 
when holding three, third-best from other holdings, in all cases 
from numerically strongest suit, and lowest from latter when it 
consists of four only, unless it contains three honours. 

The play of second hand by dealer, whether from dummy's 
hand or his own hand, depends so much upon the cards held 
in the combined hands that it is hardly necessary, even were it 
possible, to lay down rules covering it. Generally speaking, he 
must, of course, utilize his strength to best advantage. With a 
fourchette of almost any cards, he should cover the card led. 
With any three honours in sequence, he should play one of them 
on a lower card led; false card ng from his own hand. So with 
two honours in sequence and but one low card. With King 
and one low in dummy. King should generally be played on a 
low card led. With Ace and low in dummy, at No Trumps, 
if dealer wishes to lead from dummy and does not expect any 
more tricks in the suit led, he should generally play the Ace 
at once. 

For the dealer's adversaries, the play of second hand is more 
difficult. " It is often a source of perplexity, particularly where 
there are no trumps." — ('' Pontifex") "It is a subject of the 
greatest complexity. We don't, therefore, propose to enter 



58 



THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



into all its multifarious details." — (Atchison and Lindsell.) 
^Ir. Whitf eld tiius sums it up : " Cover an unsupported honour 
led from dummy, if holding three or less of the suit and also 
when holding a fourchette or a second card as high as the Ten. 
In other cases, pass. An exception may be made when dummy's 
card is a singleton, since then dummy cannot go on with the 
suit and the next lead must come from the dealer." If dummy 
leads, second hand's play will naturally depend considerably 
on the cards shown in dummy's hand; hkeT\dse, of course, if 
lead comes from dealer. If, on the dealer's lead, second hand 
holds a singly guarded honour, or high card (not the Ace) 
which is better than any card in dummy, he should play it. With 
a fourchette, or two or more honours in sequence, he should 
cover any card led. The play of dealer's left-hand adversary' 
is well shown in the accompanying tables, made up, by permis- 
sion of Messrs. Thos. De La Rue & Co., from "Hellespont's" 
last work: 

PLAY OF DEALER'S LEFT-HAND ADVER- 
SARY AT NO TRUMPS 



Dealer 

PLAT5 



Ir DrMMT 

HOLDS 



Ir LEADER 
HOLDS 



Queen 


Ace,Kv.,8,o. 
3. (xYotel) 


Kg., 9, 7, 2 




Kg. and 
others 


Ace,Kv.,xx 




Ace, 9, 7, 3 
Ace, 9, X 


Kg.,8,x 
Kg., 8, X 


Knave 


Ace, Qu., 10, 

XX. {Note 2) 


Kg., XX 



You should cover. Suit can later be 
stopped with your nine and it is 
possible dealer's Queen may be single, 
thus making your partner's ten good 
on third round. 

Don't cover unless you want the lead, but 
win the trick if you have only one small 
one. 

You should pass. 

You should pass, and pass the Knave as 
well, if dealer follows with it, when 
dummy has declared No Trumps. 

Useless to cover Knave. If dealer has 
another to lead, your partner could 



THE LEADS AT BRIDGE 



59 



If dummy 

HOLDS 



If leader 

HOLDS 



Knave 



Ten 



Ace, Qu., XXX 



Ace, 10, 9, 4. 

{Note 3) 

Less than five, 

headed by 

Kg., 7 , 

Ace, Kg. with 
two or more 

Ace, 10, 7 and 

less than 

three small 

Ace, xxxx 



Ace, Qu., 7, X 



Kg., Kv., etc. 



Ace, Qu., etc. 

(iVofe 4) 
Ace, Kv., etc. 



Kg., X 
Kg., 10, X 

Kg., XX 

Kg.,x 



Kg.,orQu. 
and XX 

Qu., 8, X 
Qu., XXX 



Qu., 9, 6 
Kg., 8, X 

Ace, Qu., X 

Kg., Kv., 9 
Kg., Qu., X 



have held only three originally. K he 
has not another, dummy must take the 
trick. 

Better to cover, as your partner might 
hold the nine trebly guarded. 

Cover the Knave led as it makes your ten 
good, unless dealer finesses through 
you a second time. 

Cover the Knave as your partner may 
hold ten xx. If the ten happens to be 
with leader. King is useless anyhow. 

Always cover Knave led. 

N. B. Always cover in any position when 
you hold a fourchette over card led, 
even with small cards. When dummy 
is strong, especially when card led by 
dealer is in sequence with those in 
dummy, you, as second hand, should 
generally cover. When dummy is very 
strong better not to cover a high card 
led. 

Cover if you feel certain that dealer will 
finesse and that you wiE again be led 
through. 

It should be passed, but, if five or more in 
the dummy, you should cover. 

You should cover if your second card is 

higher than any of the small ones in 

dummy. 
Best course is to cover; but, if dummy 

hold six or the nine also, you should 

pass the Knave, hoping that dealer will 

put on Ace, or that he holds no more. 
You should cover Knave as the dealer 

likely holds the ten also, and possibly 

the King likewise. 
You should pass, hoping that your partner 

may wia with the Knave. Bear in 

mind that dealer' s policy is always to 

mislead, by false carding. 
Play the Ace. Useless to play Queen 

unless you hold Ace, Queen, nine, when 

it should be put on. 
Play Knave, but with King, Knave, x, 

play the lowest. 
Play Queen; but, if you hold two small 



60 



THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



DeALuEK 



If dummy 

HOLDS 



If leadee 

HOLDS 



Ten 



Kg., Qu., etc. 



Ace,Kv.,xx 

Ace, Kv., 

and s, or 9 



ones, play lowest and your Queen to 

the next lead through. 
Same play as last — pass first round and 

play Ace on second. 
Cover the Ten with the Knave. 

JS'. B. \Mien dealer leads through second 

hand to dummy, mt ending to finesse: 
if dummy is long in the suit, infer that 
dealer holds neither great strength nor 
a sequence therein — if dummy is short, 
assume that the suit is dealer's and that 
his high card is one of a sequence. 



Note 1. — If second hand holds King and three others, dummy holding Ace 
and ttvo others, he should not cover a Queen led, for it is obvious that his King 
must be good on fourth round. — (Dalton.) 

Note -2. — ^^'ith lead of Knave, dummy holding Ace, Queen, and leader hold- 
ing King , if you play King on Knave, you have one chance of making jood 
the Ten twice guarded in your partners hand. — {Atchison and Lindsell,) 

With dealer playing Queen or Knave, dummy holding Ace, and leader King. 
cover if you have only one small; if you hold more, play smallest. And, with 
dealer playing Knave or Ten, dummy holding Ace, King, and leader the Queen, 
cover with the Queen unless you hold four iu suit. Otherwise, play lowest. — 
{'' Pontifex .") 

Note 3. — When dealer leads Knave up to Ace, Ten and others in dummy, or 
a Ten up to Ace, Knave and others, and the second hand has King or Queen 
guarded, he should always cover with his high card. — (Dalton.) 

Note 4. — "VMien dealer leads Ten up to Ace, Queen and others, and the 
second hand holds King, Knave and another, he should play King and not 
Knave on first roimd. If he plays Knave, dxumny will take it with the Queen. 
—{Dalton.) 



Third hand fpone) should almost always play his highest 
card, whether at Xo Trumps or on a suit make. But if dummy 
holds King singly guarded, or Queen with but two guards, 
pone holding Ace, Eaiave, etc., or King, Knave, etc., Knave 
should be played. This is not a finesse, it is plapng the lowest 
of a sequence. If pone holds Ace, Ten or King, Ten. dummy 



THE LEADS AT BRIDGE 61 

holding the King singly guarded, or the Queen doubly guarded, 
the Ten may be finessed, as the probabihties are that the leader 
has the other honour, and this play gives the best chance of 
capturing the guarded honour in dummy. This is the play for 
No Trumps. 

With Regard to Finessing. — Although some Eastern players 
insist upon never finessing against your partner, it will readily 
be seen that third hand should risk a finesse when a high card 
appears in dummy, as, for instance, finessing the Ace, Queen 
against partner when Knave and two others are in dummy. 
When, however, the Queen is seen in the dummy, it would be 
wrong to finesse Ace, Knave, and another, for the only chance to 
win is through leader holding King. — (Dunn and Saturday 
Review. Y 

The only two exceptions as to finessing against your partner 
are: (1) with a suit declaration, when you hold Ace and Knave 
of a suit, and either the King or Queen is in dummy, if your 
partner lead small one you should finesse Ace, Knave, chancing 
that partner will hold other honour; (2) at No Trumps, holding 
Ace, Knave or Knave, Ten, with Queen doubly guarded in 
dummy, you should finesse your Knave or Ten as best means 
to help partner to establish his suit. — (Dalton.) 

The third hand should avoid blocking his partner's suit. 
A good mechanical rule for third hand is, if he holds four cards 
of his partner's suit and has to play low on the first round, he 
should play his third best, retaining his lowest until the last 
round. 

The third hand must always throw his highest card on a 
partner's King led, even though it be a Queen and he hold 
three or four others, thus giving partner assurance that his 

^ If you hold Ace, Knave, and a small card — with King or Queen in the 
dummy — the play of Knave is permissible; your partner's lead practically shows 
one of these honours. — (Elwell.) 



62 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Knave will make. This is very important in sans atout. If 
the lead is from King, Queen, and Ten and the partner holds 
the Ace, he must take the King and return his best. — {Hulme- 
Beaman.) 

As Regards Blocking. — Two good tables of combinations here 
show how it can be avoided by third hand at No Trumps : 



TABLES OF COMBINATIONS TO 
SHOW UNBLOCKING 



Holding Ace and one or two others. . . . 

Holding Ace and one other 

Holding Ace and two others 

Holding King and one or two others . . 

Holding Queen and one or two others. . 



play Ace on King led (unless three to the Knave or 
four to the Ten are in dummy) , as lead of 
King must be from either King, Queen, Ten 
or King, Queen, Knave. 

play Ace on Queen led (unless King singly guarded 
is in dummy). 

play Ace on Queen led (unless King is in dummy), 
as lead of Queen must be from either Ace, 
Queen, Knave or Queen, Knave, Ten, etc. 

play King on Ace or Queen led, as the lead of an 
Ace can only be from Ace, Queen, Knave, 
and others or from great length. 

play Queen on King or Knave led, as, in this case, 
the lead of King is probably from Ace, King, 
Knave, and the lead of Knave is either 
from Ace, Knave, Ten, or from King, 
Knave, Ten, or from Knave, Ten, Nine. 



In addition to all of the above, the following is published in 
' Bridge at a Glance " : 



Holding Ace and one other 

Holding King and one other 

Holding Ace or King and two others . 

Holding Ace and two others 

Holding King and two others 



play 
play 

play 
play 



] unless the Queen 
i doubly guarded 
[happens to be in 
J the dummy. 

small on King led and Ace on the second round. 

small on Queen led and King on second round, 
whatever is led. 



Ace on Knave led 

King on Knave led 

Ace or King on Knave led 



Holding Ace and one other 
Holding King and one other 
Holding Queen and two 

others 

Holding Knave and two 

others 



On Queen led play 
play 



On Ace led . . 
On King led . 
On Queen led 



play 
play 



to 1st round Ace. 
" " " King. 

" " " 'i Second 
[ best. 



to 2d round 1 the other 
" " " ) card. 

" *' " Queen. 

" " " Knave. 
(Dunn.) 



Other illustrations of blocking and unblocking at No Trumps, 
taken from Agacy, " Hellespont ,'' and Steele, are as follows: 

I. Third player holds: Clubs, Queen, Knave, 2. If play is 
thus made: 

63 



64 



THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



Leader, Clubs, King. Dummy, Clubs, small 
Clubs, Ace j Diamonds, ' 

Clubs, 3. Diamonds," 



3d hand. Clubs, 2. LOeaZer, Clubs, small. 
Clubs Kv. Clubs, " 

Clubs, Qu. Hearts, " 



There are nine Clubs out. The other four are held by 
dealer and the third hand has blocked his suit, which was seven 
clubs to the Ace. 

By the King lead, the third hand, who had Queen, should 
know that partner also held the Ace and at least five small cards, 
else he would have led a small Club. When dummy showed 
only one Club, third hand should know dealer could have but 
two Clubs at most and he should have played his Knave on the 
King, Queen on the Ace, and the 2 on his partner's 3. Thus, 
third hand would have unblocked his suit and he would have 
made all next four tricks. 

II. If partner leads King and you have only Ace and one 
small card, cover King with Ace and return small card. If he 
leads Queen and you have King and one small card, play King 
on Queen, then the small card if you win the trick. 

III. Holding King and one small, play King on partner's 

lead of Ace. 
Holding King and one small, play King on partner's 

lead of Queen. 
Holding Ace and one small, play Ace on partner's lead 

of King. 
Holding Queen and two small, play Queen on the second 

round on partner's lead of King followed by an Ace. 

IV. Partner leads Hearts, King; dummy has two or three 
small ones; third hand has Ace and one small one. Take 
partner's King with Ace and lead back the small card, thus 
giving lead to partner, who has other Hearts to make. When 
dummy shows Knave and two others, do not unblock, as Knave 
will make. 

V. If partner leads Hearts, Queen, with which he takes the 



COMBINATIONS TO SHOW UNBLOCKING 65 

first trick, and then leads Ace, you know he has a long suit and 
no re-entry in the suit. Play your King on the Ace, second 
round, and keep your small card for the third round, so that 
he may retain the lead. 

VI. Dealer holds Ace, King, 7, 6, 5, 2, and dummy 9, 8, 4. 
If dealer leads Ace and King, drawing Queen and Knave, and 
does not play 8 and 9 from dummy, suit is blocked. 

It is scarcely necessar}'-, from what precedes, to emphasise 
here the importance of mastering a knowledge of the leads 
which are generally accepted by reason of their having natu- 
rally proved to be most profitable. Sufiice it to say that every 
one who desires to become proficient at Bridge, and be able 
to play what Mr. Melrose calls " an intelligible game " for his 
partner, should have all these leads at his very fingers' ends. 
Original tables which have been especially compiled for that 
purpose appear herein at pages 63-72. Some additional views 
of different authors on leads cannot but be interesting : 

There are seven good leads against a declared trump, viz.: 
(1) Ace, King, alone or with others; (2) King, Queen, alone 
or with others; (3) Ace, with three or more small cards, but 
not with Queen or Knave; (4) any singleton; (5) Queen, 
Knave, alone or with others; (6) Knave, Ten, alone or with 
others ; (7) any two-card suit, except King, and one low, or Ace 
and Queen. — (Street.) 

Following is the order in which the choice of a suit should 
be made for the original lead: (1) A major sequence; (2) Ace, 
Queen, Knave; King, Queen, Knave; Ace, Knave; King, 
Queen; King, Knave, Ten; Queen, Knave, Ten; Queen, 
Knave; (3) Ace and small cards; (4) Knave, Ten; Ten, Nine; 
(5) only one card; (6) Queen and three or more small; 
(7) longest suit if you have no tenace of high cards or King 
guarded ; shortest suit, if you have either or both. — (" Pontifex.'') 

Lead any three honours, of which two are in sequence. 



66 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

except Ace, King, Ten. Do not lead top of a suit of three cards 
headed by either King or Queen. — (Steele.) 

The high-card leads from strength are: Ace, King, Queen, 
and Ten, the Knave being always the top of nothing. Avoid 
any suit in which you have the Ace but not the King, because 
the Ace is by many people deemed valuable after the exposure 
of dummy's hand. But if your leading suit is headed by Ace, 
always lead Ace absolutely. — {Foster.) 

With regard to the play of the pone at No Trumps, it must 
be pointed out as of supreme importance — in fact, a golden rule, 
a fundamental maxim — that he should always at once return 
the original lead with his highest card. 

Mr. Agacy justly says that the following well-known Whist 
Conventions should always be observed: (1) When your part- 
ner leads a suit and you first return it, if only two cards of 
that suit remain in your hand, you should play the higher of 
those two; but, if you have remaining more than two cards, 
you should return him the lowest: the higher of two, lowest 
of three or more. (2) If you lead from a suit of three or less, 
the head of which is lower than a Queen (e. g., a Knave), you 
must lead the highest. (From a suit of two, you always lead 
the higher, even if the head is an Ace or a King.) At Whist, 
it was very important to indicate the number of a suit, and so 
with four, even to an Eight or Nine, one always led the lowest ; 
but, at Bridge, when leading from such a suit, it is frequently 
advisable to lead the highest of a suit of four to an Eight or 
Nine, or even Ten, in order to give partner warning that you 
have no honour in it. 



ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 

1. — Tables of Accepted Leads at No Trumps. 

2. — Tables of Accepted Leads at Trumps. 
[With Accompanying Notes.] 

3. — Inferences from high-card Leads. 

4. — ^The private Leads and Conventions, issued for members 
of the English Blenheim Club. 

5. — Code of Leads, by " Probleraaticus, " of The Bystander. 

6. — Play of third-hand against high-card Leads at No 
Trumps. 

7. — Table of probabilities as to Leads, Holdings, etc. 

1. ACCEPTED LEADS AT NO TRUMPS 



When Holding the following 
Hands: 



Leads, Accoeding to the Sub- 
joined Authorities. 



1. — ^Ace and three or four small cards. 



2. — Ace and seven or more small 

cards. Notes 1, 4. 

3. — Ace, King, only 

4. — Ace, King, and less than four or 

five small cards. Note *. 

5. — Ace, King, and five or more small 
cards. Notes *, %. 



6. — Ace, King, and small cards, with 
a re-entry card. 

7. — ^Ace, King, and small cards, with- 
out a re-entry card. 



Fourth best. — " Badsworth," "Helles- 
pont," "Pontifex," "Slam," Sport- 
ing News, " Templar." 

Ace. — Blenheim Club, Elwell. 

Fourth best, — Blenheim Club, Elwell. 

Fourth best. — Agacy, "Badsworth," 
Dalton, "Hellespont," "Slam," 
Sporting News. Note f. 

King, Ace. — Agacy, Badminton Maga- 
zine, Blenheim Club, Dalton, Elwell, 
"Hellespont," "Pontifex," "Slam," 
Smith, " Templar." 

King. — Dunn, Foster, " Templar." 

Fourth best. — Foster, " Templar." 



THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



When Holding the Following 
Hands: 



Leads, According to the Sub- 
joined Authorities. 



8. — Ace, King, Queen. Notes *, 2. . 

9. — ^Ace, King, Queen, with others. 
Note J. 



10. — ^Ace, King, Queen, Knave (with 
or without others. — "Helles- 
pont "). 

11. — ^Ace, King, Knave, with a re- 
entry card. Note *. 

12. — ^Ace, King, Knave, without a re- 
entry card. Note *. 

13. — ^Ace, King, Knave, and two or 
three small cards. Notes J, 3. 



14. 



-Ace, King, Knave, Ten, and one 
or two others. 



15. — ^Ace, King, Ten (or Nine), and 

others. Note 5. 
16. — Ace, Queen and others. Note *. 
17. — ^Ace, Queen, and three or more. . . 



18. — Ace, Queen, Knave. Notes *, 6. 

19. — Ace, Queen, Knave, with a re- 
entry card. 

20. — Ace, Queen, Knave, without a 
re-entry card. 

21. — ^Ace, Queen, Knave, and others. 
Notes, t, 4, 7. 



22. — Ace, Queen, Knave, and others, 

without a re-entry card. Note 

8. 
23. — Ace, Queen, Knave, and others, 

with a re-entry card. 
24. — Ace, Queen, Ten, and small ones 

(four or more. — ""Hellespont" 

"Pontifex"). 
25. — Ace, Knave, and two small ones. . 
27.— Ace, Knave, Ten. Notes *, 9. . . . 



Queen, King. — Dalton, "Pontifex," 
" Templar." 

King, Queen. — Agacy, Badminton 
Magazine, Elwell, "Hellespont," 
"Pontifex" Sporting News. Note f. 

Queen, King. — Foster, Saturday Re- 
view. 

King. — Foster, "Hellespont." 

King. — Blenheim Club, Dalton, "Hel- 
lespont." 
Fourth best. — Dalton. 

King. — Badminton Magazine, Bea- 
man, Elwell, Foster, Saturday Re- 
view, "Slam." 

Knave. — Blenheim Club, " Helles- 
pont," "Pontifex." Note 4. 

Ace. — Foster. Note 4. 

King. — Elwell. 

Fourth best. — Dalton. 

Ace, then small one. — Elwell, "Ponti- 
fex." 

Fourth best. — "Hellespont," "Slam." 

Queen. — " Badsworth," Dalton, Sport- 
ing News, " Templar." Note f. 

Ace, Queen. — Elwell, Steele. 

Ace. — Elwell. 

Queen. — Foster, "Hellespont," Satur- 
day Review, Steele. 

Queen. — Agacy, Badminton Maga- 
zine, Blenheim Club, "Leigh," 
"Templar." 

Ace. — Dunn, Foster. 

Queen. — "Badsworth," Elwell, "Pon- 
tifex," Saturday Review, "Slam," 
Steele. 

Ace. — Elwell, "Hellespont," "Ponti- 
fex," Saturday Review, Steele. 

Ace. — " Hellespont," " Pontifex." 

Fourth best. — Agacy. 

Ace, then small one. — Elwell. 
Knave. — Blenheim Club, Dalton, 

Smith, Sporting News, "Templar." 

Note f. 



ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 



69 



When Holding the Following 
Hands: 



. — Ace, Knave, Ten, and small ones. 
Note J. 

29. — ^Ace, Knave, Ten, with or with- 
out re-entry. Note 10. 

30. — Ace, and any other combination. 
Notes *, 11. 

31. — ^King, Queen, with or without 
small card. 

32. — King, Queen, and five others. 
Notes *, J. 

33. — ^King, Queen, and less than five 
or seven others. Notes *, 12. 

34. — ^King, Queen, and at least seven 
in suit. 



35. — ^King, Queen, Knave.. 



36. — ^King, Queen, Knave, and one 
small card. Notes *, {. 

37. — ^King, Queen, Knave, and two or 
more others. Notes *, {, 13. 

38. — King, Queen, Ten, with or with- 
out small. Notes *, J, 13, 15. 



39. — ^King, Queen, Nine, and small 

cards. 
40.— King, Knave, Ten. Notes *, 16. . 



41. — ^King, Knave, Ten, Three. Notes 
t 17. 

42. — ^King, Knave, Ten, any number 
in suit. Notes 17, 18. 

43. — ^King, Knave, Ten, with or with- 
out small cards. Notes 17, 19. 

44. — King, Knave, Ten, Nine, with or 
without others. 

45. — Queen, Knave and others. 
Note *. 

46. — Queen, Knave, Ten, with or with- 
out others. Notes *, J. 



Leads, According to the Sub- 
joined Authorities. 



Knave. — Agacy, Badminton Magazine, 
" Badsworth" "Hellespont," "Pon- 
tifex," "Slam" 

Ace. — Steele. 

Fourth best. — Dalton. 
King. — Elwell. 

King. — Badminton Magazine, Dalton, 
Elwell, ' ' Hellespont, " " Pontifex , ' ' 
"Slam," "Templar." 

Fourth best. — Dalton, Foster, "Helles- 
pont," Sporting News, " Templar." 
Note t- 

King. — Badminton Magazine, Blen- 
heim Club, Foster, "Hellespont," 
"Pontifex," Smith, Sporting News, 
" Templar." Note f. 

King. — Blenheim Club, Saturday Re- 
view, "Slam." 

King, Queen. — Agacy, Badminton 
Magazine, Dalton, Elwell, Sporting 
News, "Templar." Note f- 

Knave, Queen. — Badminton Maga- 
zine, Dalton, Sporting News, " Tem- 
plar." Note t- 

King. — Agacy, Badminton Magazine, 
"Badsworth," Beaman, Dalton, El- 
well, Foster, "Slam," Sporting 
News. Note f- 

Fourth best. — Agacy, "Badsworth." 

Ten, not Knave. — "Badsworth." 
Knave. — Blenheim Club, Dalton, 

"Slam," "Templar." 
Ten. — Badminton Magazine. 

Ten. — Foster, "Hellespont," "Ponti- 
fex," Sporting News. Note f- 

Knave. — Saturday Review. 

Ten. — Agacy, Elwell. 

Fourth best. — Agacy. 

Nine. — "Hellespont." Note 20. 

Fourth best. — Dalton, Sporting News. 
Note f. 

Queen. — Agacy, Badminton Magazine, 
Blenheim Club, Dalton, Elwell, Fos- 
ter, "Hellespont," "Slam," Smith, 
Sporting News, " Templar." Note f- 



70 



THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



When Holding the Following 
Hands: 



47. — Queen, Knave, Nine, and others 
(at least six. — Foster). Notes 
t, 21. 

48. — ^Knave, Ten, with or without 
another card. 

49. — Knave, Ten, Nine, with or with- 
out other cards. Note J . 

50. — ^Knave, Ten, Nine, or lower 
sequence. Notes *, %. 

51.— Ten, Nine 

52.— Ten, Nine, Eight, with or with- 
out others. 

53. — From any other combination of 
cards. Note *. 



Leads, According to the Sub- 
joined Authorities. 



Queen. — Badminton Magazine, Berg- 
holt, Blenheim Club, Dalton, Elwell, 
Foster, "Hellespont," "Slam," 
Sporting News. Note f. 

Knave. — Saturday Review. 

Knave. — Agacy, Badminton Magazine, 
Blenheim Club, Elwell, "Helles- 
pont," Saturday Revieiv, "Slam." 

Highest of sequence. — Badminton 
Magazine, "Pontifex," Saturday 
Review, Sporting News. Note f. 

Ten.— Da/ton. 

Ten. — Agacy, Dalton, "Hellespont." 



Fourth best.- 
Dalton. 



-Badminton Magazine, 



2. ACCEPTED LEADS AT TRUMPS 



When Holding the Following 
Hands: 



Leads, According to the Sub- 
joined Authorities. 



1. — Ace and three or four small 
cards. 



2. — Ace, and seven or more small 

cards. 
3. — Ace, King, only 



4. — ^Ace, King, and less than four or 
five small cards. 



5. — Ace, King, and five or more small 

cards. 
6. — Ace, King, and small cards, with 

a re-entry card. 
7. — Ace, King, and small cards, 

without a re-entry card. 



Ace. — Badminton Magazine, " Bads- 
worth," Dalton, Dunn, Foster, 
"Hellespont," Melrose, "Pontifex," 
Robertson, " Slam," Sporting News. 
Note t- 

Ace. — Blenheim Club, Foster. 

Ace, King. — Agacy, Blenheim Club, 
Dalton, Elwell, " Hellespont," Smith, 
Sporting News, Steele, " Templar." 

King, Ace. — Dunn, Foster, Melrose, 
Saturday Review, "Slam," Smith, 
Sporting News, " Templar." Note 
30. 

King. — Blenheim Club, "Hellespont," 
Robertson. 

King. — Saturday Review. 

Ace, King. — Dunn. 



ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 



71 



When Holding the Following 
Hands: 



Leads, According to the Sub- 
joined Authorities. 



8. — ^Ace, King, Queen 

9. — ^Ace, King, Queen, with others . 

10. — Ace, King, Queen, Knave 



11. — Ace, King, Knave, with re-entry 
card. 

12. — Ace, King, Knave, without re- 
entry card. 

13. — ^Ace, King, Ejiave, and two or 
three small cards. 

14. — ^Ace, King, Knave, Ten, and one 
or two others. 

15. — Ace, King, Ten (or Nine), and 
others. 

16. — Ace, Queen 

17. — Ace, Queen, and three or more. . . 

18. — ^Ace, Queen, Knave 

19. — Ace, Queen, Knave, with a re- 
entry card. 
20. — Ace, Queen, Knave, without a 

re-entry card. 
21. — Ace, Queen, Knave, and others. . 



22. — Ace, Queen, Knave, and others, 
without re-entry card. 

23. — Ace, Queen, Knave, and others, 
with re-entry card. 

24. — Ace, Queen, Ten, and small ones. 

25. — Ace, Knave, and two small ones. 

26. — Ace, Knave, and five small ones. . 

27. — Ace, Knave, Ten 



28. — Ace, Knave, Ten, and small ones. 

29. — Ace, Knave, Ten, with or with- 
out re-entry. 

30. — Ace, and any other combination. . 

31. — King, Queen, with or without a 
small card. 

32. — King, Queen, and five others .... 
33. — King, Queen, and less than five 
or seven others. 



King. — Dalton," Hellespont," "Slam" 
Steele. 

King, Queen. — Foster, Saturday Re- 
view, Smith, Sporting News. Note 
31. 

King, Knave. — Dunn, Saturday Re- 
view, " Slam," Smith. 

King. — " Hellespont." 

King. — "Hellespont." 

King. — Foster. 

King. — BlenheiTn Club, "Hellespont." 

King. — Foster. 

Ace. — Foster. Note 32. 

Ace. — " Badsworth," Foster, "Slam." 

Ace. — Blenheim Cluh, Dalton, Foster, 

" Pontifex," "Slam," Steele. 
Ace. — Foster. 

Ace, Queen. — Dunn, Elwell, Foster, 
Saturday Review. 

Ace, Queen. — Blenheim Cluh, Elwell, 
Foster, Saturday Review, Smith, 
Sporting News, Steele. 

Ace, Queen. — Elwell, Foster, Saturday 
Review, Steele. Notes 8, 33. 

Ace, Knave. — Dunn, Foster, "Flelles- 
pont." 

Ace. — Foster, Melrose. 

Lowest. — " Pontifex." Ace. — Foster. 

Ace. — Foster, "Pontifex." 

Knave. — Blenheim Cluh, Saturday Re- 
view, Smith, Sporting News. 

Ace. — Foster, Steele. Note 34. 

Knave. — Badminton Magazine. 

Ace, Knave. — Elwell, Foster. 

Ace. — Foster. 

Ace. — Foster. 

King, Queen. — Dalton, "Pontifex," 

Robertson, "Slam," Smith, Steele, 

" Templar." 
King. — " Hellespont." 
King. — Foster, Melrose, Sporting 

News. 



72 



THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



When Holding the Following 
H\NDs: 



Leads, According to the Sub- 
joined Authorities, 



34. — living, Queen, and at least seven 

in suit. 
35. — King, Queen, Knave 

36. — ^King, Queen, Knave, and one 
small card. 

37. — ^King, Queen, Knave, and two 
or more others. 

38. — King, Queen, Ten, with or with- 
out small. 

39. — ^King, Queen, Nine, and small 
cards. 

40. — ^King, Knave, Ten 



41. — ^King, Knave, Ten, Three 

42, — ^King, Knave, Ten, any number 

in suit. 
44, — ^King, Knave, Ten, Nine, with 

or without others, 
45. — Queen, Knave 

46. — Queen, Knave, Ten, with or 
without others. 



47, — Queen, Knave, Nine, and others 
(at least six, — Foster). 

48. — ^Knave, Ten, with or without 
another card. 

49. — Knave, Ten, Nine, with or with- 
out others. 

50, — ^Knave, Ten, Nine, or lower se- 
quence, 

51.— Ten, Nine 

52. — ^Ten, Nine, Eight, with or with- 
out others. 

53. — From any other combination of 
cards. 



King. — The Field, Saturday Review. 

King. — Dalton, "Hellespont," "Slam," 
Smith, Steele. Note 35. 

King. — " Badsivorth," Dunn, Foster, 
Melrose, Robertson, Sporting News. 

Knave. — Melrose, "Pontifex," Sport- 
ing News. 

King. — " Badsworth," Dunn, "Helles- 
pont." 

King. — " Badsworth." 

Knave. — Blenheim Club, "Slam." 

Ten. — Badminton Magazine, "Bads- 
worth," Ehvell, Foster, Saturday 
Review, Smith, Sporting News, 
Steele. Note 36. 

Ten. — Dunn, Foster. 

Ten. — Dunn, "Hellespont," Melrose. 

Fourth best. — " Badsworth." 

Queen. — "Hellespont." Robertson, 
Saturday Review. Note 37. 

Queen. — Badminton Magazine, Blen- 
heim Club, Dalton, Dunn, Foster, 
"Hellespont," '"Leigh," Melrose, 
"Pontifex," Robertson, "Slam," 
Sporting Neivs. Notes 38, 39. 

Queen. — Badminton Magazine, Blen- 
heim Club, Dunn, Foster, "Slam," 
Sporting News. Notes 38, 39. 

Knave. — "Hellespont," Saturday Re- 
view. Note 40. 

Knave. — Blenheim Club, Foster, "Hel- 
lespont," "Pontifex," Saturday Re- 
view, Steele. 

Fourth best. — Sporting Neics. 

Knave. — Badminton Magazine, Dal- 
ton, Foster, "Hellespont." 

Ten. — Blenheim Club, "Hellespont," 
Saturday Revieiv, Steele. 

Ten. — Foster, "Hellespont," "Ponti- 
fex." Note 41. 

Fourth best. — Robertson, Saturday Re- 
view, Sporting News. 



ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 73 



NOTES 

Note * — ^These nineteen entries are, by the London Saturday Review, said 
to be " the only accepted leads against a No Trumps declaration." 

Note f — Leads thus marked are especially pointed out by "Bascule," of 
the London Illustrated Sporting News. 

Note J — The table embracing these fourteen entries is given by " Portland," 
of the Badminton Magazine, as the most acceptable one he can frame of the 
several recognised leads at No Trumps "approved by the majority of the best 
players in the London clubs at the present time." 

In the No Trumps Declaration 

Note 1. — ^Holding less than seven it would not be possible to exhaust all the 
rest. — (Agacy and Saturday Review.) 

Ace is led from eight in suit, but only if a re-entry card is held. — (Blenheim 
Club.) 

Note 2. — ^Also the usual lead with Ace, King, Queen, and others, the ob- 
ject being to give leader's partner a chance to unblock should he hold four of a 
suit. — (Saturday Review.) 

Note 3. — ^When holding Ace, King, Knave, and others, some players lead 
King and then opea another suit, if Queen is not in dummy. — (Saturday Review.) 

A rule without exception is to always lead King from Ace, King, Knave, 
and others, or King, Queen, Ten, and others, says one of the best Constantinople 
players. — (Hulme-Beaman.) 

Lead King from Ace, Ejng, Kiiave, four only in suit (or, of five or six in 
suit, with re-entry card). — (Blenheim Club.) 

Along the Mediterranean and throughout European Turkey it is, or was, 
one of their canons, at No Trumps, always to lead originally, either with or with- 
out a re-entry card, a King from Ace, King, Knave, and two or more, or from 
King, Queen, Ten, and two or more others; also to never lead a King except 
from these combinations. Such a lead without a re-entry card is bad in principle. 
— (" Hellespont.") 

Note 4. — Knave is led from Ace, King, Knave, Ten, five or six in suit, if 
without re-entry card. — (Blenheim Club.) 

Holding the Ace, King, Knave, Ten, with or without one or two more, lead 
Knave — with re-entry card, lead King. — ('^Hellespont.") 

Ace is never led without at least seven cards of the suit except in two cases: 
(1) Ace, King, Knave, Ten, and others; (2) Ace, Queen, Knave, and others. 
From (1) lead Ace, and, if Queen is not in dummy, lead King; from (2) lead 
Ace, only with re-entry card in another suit, failing which lead Queen. — (Foster.) 



74 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Note 5. — ^The Ten is led from Ace, King, Ten, Nine, fewer than seven in 
suit. — {Blenheim Club.) 

Note 6. — The leads of Ace from Ace, Queen, Knave; Ace, Queen; Ace, 
Knave; Ace, Ten, are bad and should, if possible, be avoided. — {The Field.) 
"Anti-haphazard " writes to the last-named paper that he cannot see why Queen 
should be led instead of the Knave. 

Note 7. — Invariably lead Queen. This is one of the most useful of any of 
the conventional leads and frequently occurs. — {Saturday Review.) 

From Ace, Queen, Knave, and four or more small cards, lead Ace. From 
Ace, Queen, Knave, Ten, " with or without one or two more," lead Queen — 
likewise from " Ace, Queen, Knave, with less than four others," except, in the 
last two cases, when the Ace should be led instead of the Queen if there is a re- 
entry card. — {"Hellespont") 

Note 8. — This is a lead absolutely peculiar to Bridge, and a very necessary 
one to comprehend. The Whist lead from this combination and also the correct 
lead at Bridge against a suit declaration is the Ace followed by the Queen, but 
at No Trumps the Queen is the correct and the only lead. — {Elwell, Saturday 
Review and Steele.) 

Note 9.— See Note 16. 

Note 10. — Holding a re-entry card, lead Ace; but, without, lead Knave. — 
{Badminton Magazine.) 

Note 11. — If combination consists of only four cards headed by a worth- 
less card, lead an intermediate card — for example, holding 9, 7, 6, 3, lead 7. — 
{Steele.) 

Note 12. — Holding less than seven in suit, fourth best should be led from 
all suits headed by King and Queen, which do not have either Knave or Ten. — 
{Foster.) 

Note 13. — "Anti-haphazard," named in Note 6, opposes the lead of Knave 
from King, Queen, Knave, and such kindred leads. 

At Whist, the Knave was only led from King, Queen, Knave to five cards. 
At Bridge, many sound players invariably lead King from this combination, 
no matter what length in suit they hold. — {Sporting News.) 

The lead of King is also preferred by "Hellespont," who says to always start 
with it from Kng, Queen, Knave, and one or more others; continue with the 
Queen if you have only four — with the Knave, if you have more than four. 

Always lead King, and not the knave as at Whist. — {"Slam.") 

Note 15.— See Note 3. 

Note 16. — Some adopt the old Whist lead of Ten instead of Knave; it is 
probably the better lead, for it distinguishes between Ace, Knave, Ten and 
King, Knave, Ten, yet the Knave is the generally accepted lead from either 
combination. — {Saturday Review.) 

A bad suit to open from. Players are equally divided as to whether the 
Knave or the Ten is the right card to lead. From King, Knave, Ten, the Ten 



, ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 75 

I 

I should always be led, the objection to the lead of Knave being that it clashes too 
I much with the lead from Ace, Knave, Ten. — (Sporting News.) 
J "The lead of Knave from King, Knave, Ten, first advocated by me, has, I 
I observe, been included in several recent publications as an miprovement on the 
:i old lead of the Ten — e. g., the fifth edition of 'Hellespont' makes the change." — 
(Diehl.) 
Jl Note 17. — See the Blenheim Club leads, for leads of Ten. 
!j Note 18. — This is the only combination from which a Ten is led against a 
! No Trumper. — (Foster.) 

I Note 19. — Holding King, Knave, Ten, and others, the Knave is the cus- 
I tomary lead; some, as in Whist, play the Ten. — (Saturday Review and Sporting 
! News.) 

i Note 20. — Lead the Nine: it has been proven a better lead than the Ten. — 
I ("Hellespont.") 

Note 21. — This lead is now universally recognised. — (Bergholt.) 

A very good lead. — (Sporting News.) 

With less than six, it is demonstrably wrong mathematically to lead Queen 
from Queen, Knave, Nine, etc. — ("Hellespont.") 

In Any Suit Declaration 

Note 30. — Lead always King from any suit accompanied by the next card 
in value — for instance. King, Ace; or. King, Queen; or. Ace, King, Queen. — 
(Foster.) 

The lead of an Ace followed by a King, means no more of that suit. 

Note 31. — Holding Ace, King, Queen with two others, play Queen, Ace; 
with three or more others, play Queen, King. — (Dunn.) 

Note 32. — Better avoid leading from an Ace, Queen suit until dummy is 
exposed; if King does not appear in dummy, partner will lead up to latter's 
weakness . — (Smith . ) 

Note 33.— See Note 8. 

Note 34. — Lead Ace from Ace, Knave, Ten, the Ace being top of suit 
from which the King is missing. — (Steele.) 

Knave should never be led except as a supporting card from top of a short 
suit or from a long suit headed by the Knave, Ten, Nine or the Kjiave, Ten. — 
(Foster.) 

Note 35. — A very important rule to observe: If you lead King from 
King, Queen, Knave, lead the Knave on second round, even though 
King wins first trick, for, in case partner holds the Ace, he know^s from 
your lead that you hold the Queen, but he does not know that you also 
hold Knave. — (Foster.) 

Note 36. — Remember, that against a trump declaration, the Ten is led from 
only one combination of high cards. King, Ejiave, Ten, Four, Two. It can 



76 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

be led when highest of three, or of only two, small cards, but it should never 
be led when highest of four or more, or whenever it is an interior card unac- 
companied by both the King and the Knave. — (Foster.) 

A very important lead which should never be departed from. — (Melrose.) 
Note 37. — Another valuable opening. — (Saturday Review.) 
Note 38. — ^The Queen from the top of three cards. — ("Hellespont.") 
"There is one useful lead — of an irregular kind, however — which none of 
the writers on Bridge have thus far recommended ... at the Trumps game, 
Queen should be led not only from Queen, Knave, Ten and from Queen, 
Knave, Nine, but from any combination of cards headed by the Queen and Knave." 
— (Badminton Magazine.) 

Note 39. — Queen is never led except from these combinations; that is, 
hands containing nothing higher and always accompanied by Knave and Ten 
or Knave and Nine. — (Foster.) 

Queen, Knave, and others good to lead from, odds being five to four that the 
leader's partner has either Ace or King. — ('^Pontifex.'") 

Note 40. — One of the best and most useful openings. — (Dalton.) 
Note 41. — ^The Ten from any three cards headed by the Ten. — ("Helles- 
pont") 



3. INFERENCES FROM HIGH CARD LEADS 

Against a No Trumps Declaration 

Lead of Ace. — Indicates that it is from Ace, Queen, Knave, 
and others, with a card of re-entry. — (Dalton.) 

Ace, Queen, Knave, etc., four or more in suit. — (" Leigh.' ^) 
Should be regarded as an urgent invitation to unblock 
and should always mean that leader holds at least six 
cards in suit. — (Robertson.) 

Indicates seven or more headed by either Ace, Queen, 
Knave, Ten; Ace, Queen, Knave; Ace, Queen, Ten; or. 
Ace, Queen, and six or more small ones; or, that it may be 
from the same high cards, and less small ones, plus a card 
of re-entry. Unless partner holds Queen and Knave as 
well as the Ace, his lead cannot be from less than six of 
the suit led. — ("Hellespont.") 



ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 77 

Lead of King. — Indicates that it is either from : Ace, King, and 
five others; Ace, King, Knave, and others; King, Queen, 
Knave, and one other. — (Dalton.) 

Indicates six or more, including Ace or Queen or both. 
(''Leigh.'') 

Can only be from: Ace, King; King, Queen, and five or 
more small ones; Ace, King, Queen, etc.; Ace, King, 
Knave, Ten; Ace, King, Knave, Ten, and others, plus a 
card of re-entry; King, Queen, Knave, Ten, etc.; King, 
Queen, Knave, etc.; King, Queen, Ten, and two or more 
others. — (" Hellespont.") 
Lead of Queen.— Indiceites that it is either from: Ace, King, 
Queen, and others; or. Ace, Queen, Knave, and others; or. 
Queen, Knave, Ten, and others. — (Dalton.) 

Queen, Knave, Ten, four or more in suit. — (''Leigh.") 

Shows sequence of Queen, Knave, Ten, and one or more, 
as it is only led from that one combination. — (Robertson.) 

Is from Ace, Queen, Knave, Ten, or Ace, Queen, Knave, 
etc., without re-entry card; or, from Queen, Knave, Ten, 
etc., or Queen, Knave, Nine, etc. — (" LLellespont.") 
Lead of Knave. — Indicates the top of a suit (Elwell and 
"Leigh"); signifies generally five in suit. — (Melrose.) 

Indicates that it is from either: Ace, Knave, Ten, and 
others ; or. King, Knave, Ten, and others ; or. King, Queen, 
Knave, and more than one other; or, from sequence headed 
by a Knave. In any case, the Queen should be played on 
partner's Knave without a moment's hesitation. — (Dalton.) 

Is from either Ace, King, Knave, Ten, etc., w^ithout re- 
entry card; or Ace, Kna.ve, Ten, etc.; or Knave, Ten, Nine, 
etc. — (" Hellespont.") 

As Knave is never led from a suit, no matter what its 
length, which hkewise includes the King and Queen, its 
lead signifies that the leader either holds the Ace and Ten, 



78 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

or the King and Ten, as well, or that the Knave is highest 

he holds of the suit. — (''Slam:'') 
Lead of Ten. — Indicates it is from sequence headed by the Ten 

(Dalton); Ace, Queen, Ten or King, Knave, Ten, and 

others. — (Sporting News.) 
Any Lower Card. — Indicates highest of a sequence, or three 

higher cards exactly in the leader's hand. — (Dalton.) 

Against a Suit Declaration 

Lead of Ace. — Indicates always at least five cards in the suit, 
except in the one case of a suit consisting of Ace, 
Queen, Knave, and one other. — (Dunn, ''Leigh'' and 
"Slam.") 

Indicates that it is either from Ace, King alone; or Ace, 
Queen, Knave, and a small card; or Ace, Knave, Ten. 
—(Steele.) 

Always made from suit headed by Ace, without the King, 
no matter what else the suit contains. The original lead 
should alvrays preferably be made from a suit containing 
both the Ace and the King, the King to be, of course, played 
first. — (Foster.) 

Denies the King, except when to show no others; when 
followed by Queen it indicates the Knave, and when fol- 
lowed by Knave it indicates the Ten, or nothing else in 
the suit. — (Elwell.) 
Lead of King. — Indicates that it is from: Ace, King, and two 
small cards; or an Ace, King, Queen combination; or. 
King, Queen, and another card. — (Saturday Review.) 

When followed by the Ace it indicates the absence of 
the Queen. — (Ehvell.) 

Always indicates not more than four cards in the suit, 
and the presence of Ace or Queen, or both. — (Dunn.) 



ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 79 

Lead of Queen. — Indicates that it is from: Queen, Knave, 
Ten; or Queen and one other. — {" Leigh ^^ and Saturday 
Review.) 

Always indicates at least five cards in the suit, except in 
the one case of a suit consisting of Queen, Knave, Ten, 
and one other. — (Dunn.) 
Lead of Knave. — Indicates that it is from: Ace, Knave, Ten; 
or Knave, Ten, Nine. — (Steele.) 

Denies the Ace, the King, and the Queen. — (Elwell.) 

Indicates that it is from King, Knave, Ten, and one or 
more (" Leigh ") ; or from Knave, Ten alone. — (Saturday 
Review.) 
Lead of Ten. — Indicates that it is from: King, Knave, Ten; 
or Ten, Nine. — (Steele.) 

Indicates King, Knave, and Ten, and denies both the 
Ace and Queen. — (Elwell.) 

"Bascule," of London Sporting News, says Ace, Queen, 
Ten or King, Knave, Ten. 

4. THE BLENHEIM CLUB 

PRIVATE LEADS AND ELEMENTARY BRIDGE 
CONVENTIONS 

Adopted and recommended for the use of its members. Reprinted by permission 

Leads 
L When There Are Trumps 

Ace is always led from five or more, not including the King; 
from any number in suit, not including another honour; from 
Ace, Queen, Knave, any number in suit; and from Ace, King 
only. 

Leads from tenaces are generally inadvisable. 



80 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

King is led from all combinations containing Ace or Queen, 
or both, irrespective of number in suit (except as specified above). 

Queen is led from Queen, Knave, Ten, etc.; or. Queen, 
Knave, 9, etc.; also, as the highest of a short suit (Queen, 
Knave, x; Queen, x). 

Knave is led from Knave, Ten, 9, etc.; as the top of an 
intermediate sequence (Ace, Knave, Ten ; King, Knave, Ten) ; 
or, as the highest of a short suit. 

Ten is led as the top of an intermediate sequence (Ace, Ten, 
9, 8; King, Ten, 9, 8; Queen, Ten, 9, 8; Ace, Queen, Ten, 9); 
or, as the highest of a short suit. 

Nine is led only as the highest of a short suit. 

In other cases, when leading from four or more, lead the 
lowest. In opening short weak suits, lead the highest. 

II. When There Are No Trumps 

Ace is led from eight in suit, but only if you hold a re-entry 
card. 

King is led from King, Queen, Knave; or. King, Queen, 
Ten, any number in suit; from Ace, King, Knave, four only in 
suit (or five or six in suit, with re-entry card) ; from Ace, King 
or King, Queen, seven or more in suit. 

Queen is led from Ace, Queen, Knave; Queen, Knave, Ten; 
Queen, Knave, 9; any number in suit. 

Knave is led as when there are trumps; also, from Ace, 
King, Knave, Ten; five or six in suit, if you hold no re-entry 
card. 

Ten is led as when there are trumps; also from Ace, King, 
Ten, 9, fewer than seven in suit. In other cases, lead the fourth 
best. 

N.B. — ^The lead under consideration is the original lead of the hand. 



ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 81 

Elementary Bridge Conventions 
Signals 

1. When there are trumps : To call in a plain suit, shows two 
only; to call in the trump suit, led by partner, shows four or 
more. 

2. When there are no trumps: To call in a suit opened by 
partner, shows four or more; to call by discard, shows strength 
in the suit discarded. 

Discarding 
The first discard (subject to exceptions when you are forced 
to keep suits guarded) is from the suit you do not wish led. 

Doubled No Trumps 
When third hand has doubled a No Trumps declaration, 
first hand leads the top of his shortest weak suit. 

5. CODE OF LEADS 

By " Problematicus," of The Bystander 

Just before going to press, we are favoured with a copy of the 
above code, from which we are permitted to extract the fol- 
lowing : 

Under a Trumps Declaration 

Lead Ace from (1) five or more without the King. 

" '* " (2) any number in suit without another honour. 

" " *' (3) Ace, Queen, Knave to any number. 

" " " (4) Ace, King only. 
Lead King whenever you also hold Ace or Queen to any 
number. 



83 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Lead Queen from (1) Queen, Knave, Ten, etc. 
" " " (2) Queen, Knave, 9, etc. 
" " '* (3) As highest of short suit — e. g., Queen, 
Ten, 2 ; Queen, 2. 

Lead Knave from (1) Knave, Ten, 9, etc. 

*' " " (2) As highest of intermediate sequence — 

e. g. from Ace, Knave, Ten, or King, 

Knave, Ten, with or without others. 

(3) As highest of short suit— e. g. Knave, 

7, 6 ; Knave, 6. 

Lead Ten (1) As highest of intermediate sequence, e. g., from 
Ace, Ten, 9, 8; King, Ten, 9, 8; Queen, Ten, 
9,8. 
" (2) As highest of short suit, e. g., Ten, 7, 6; Ten, 6. 

Lead Fourth Best from all other combinations. 

Lead Highest from short suit. 

Do not lead a singleton unless you hold three or more trumps. 

Under a No Trumps Declaration 

Lead Ace from eight, but only if you have a card of re-entry. 

Lead King from (1) King, Queen, Knave to any number. 
" (2) King, Queen, Ten to any number. 
" (3) Ace, King, Knave to four. 

(4) Ace, King, Knave to five or more, if you 
have a card of re-entry. 
" " " (5) Ace, King to seven or more. 

" " (6) King, Queen to seven or more. 

Lead Queen from (1) Ace, Queen, Knave to any number. 

(2) Queen, Knave, Ten to any number. 

(3) Queen, Knave, 9 to any number. 



ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 



83 



Lead Knave from (1) Ace, King, Knave, Ten to five or six, i] 
you have no card of re-entry. 
" " " (2) Knave, Ten, 9 to any number. 
" " " (3) As Highest of intermediate sequence, 
e. g., from Ace, Knave, Ten; King, 
Knave, Ten. 
Lead Ten from (1) Ace, King, Ten, 9 to less than seven. 
" " " (2) As highest of intermediate sequence, 
e. g., from Ace, Ten, 9, 8 ; King, Ten, 
9, 8; Queen, Ten, 9, 8. 
Lead Fourth Best from all other combinations. 
Lead your Highest Heart and go on leading them from the 
highest downward, when you are leader and your partner 
has doubled No Trumps. But first lead out any Aces, or 
Ace, Kings you may hold. 

6. PLAY OF THIRD HAND AGAINST HIGH- 
CARD LEADS AT NO TRUMPS ^ 



Ace lead . 



WHEN HOLDING. 



King and one other 

King and four others . . . 



King, Knave and one 
other, or King, Ten, and 
one other (especially if 
unguarded). 



Play King on Ace. 

Play King on second round. 

Play penultimate to the Ace, ante- 
penultimate to the second round, and 
King to third round (unless, of course, 
lead appears to be from Ace, Queen, 
Knave, and only one other, when 
play should depend on where lead is 
wanted). 
; Play King on Ace and the Ten or the 
Knave on second round. (When 
holding Knave or Ten and King is in 
dummy, play Knave or Ten when 
King is put on. So long as King re- 
mains in dummy, the Knave or Ten 
cannot block partner's suit.) 

^ Arranged from the text, by permission of Messrs. De La Rue & Co., pub- 
lishers of "Laws and Principles of Bridge," London, 1905. 



84 



THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



WHEN HOLDIXG. 



King lead. . 



Queen lead, 



Knave lead, 



Ace, Knave, or Ace, Ten, 
with or without a small 
one. 

Ace, Knave or Ace, Ten, 
with two small ones. 

Ace and one small one .... 



Ace and two small ones. . . 
Ace and three small ones . 



Ace and four or more small 
ones. 



Queen, Knave; or Queen, 

Ten; or Knave, Ten; 

with or without one or 

more. 
Queen and small ones, 
Knave or Ten and 

others. 
Knave or Ten and three 

others. 
Ace 



Play Ace on the King and return the 
Knave or the Ten. 

Play penultimate on the King, the Ace 
on second round, and lead Knave or 
Ten on the third round. 

Play Ace on King and return small one 
(unless the Ten and three others ap- 
pear in dummy, when the small one 
should be played on King led). 

Play penultimate on King, Ace on the 
second round and return the lowest. 

Play penultimate on King. If latter is 
followed by Queen, play remaining 
middle card; if by the Knave, play 
Ace. If dummy holds four to the 
Ten, play Ace on the King and pe- 
nultimate on second round. If dimimy 
holds four to the Knave, play lowest 
but one on King. If none of suit in 
dummy, play highest small card on 
King, and when the King is followed 
by Queen or Knave, play penultimate. 

Play ante-penultimate on King and the 
penultimate on Queen or Knave next 
led. (This is called echoing and is 
still more useful when lead is from 
Ace, King, Queen and third hand 
holds five to the Knave.) 

Play lower of the two high cards on the 
King and the highest on the Ace, 



two 



King and small ones . 



Queen and small ones. . 



Play Queen on the King. 

Play Knave or Ten on the King. 

Play penultimate on the King, retaining 
the Knave or Ten until third round. 

The King being in dmnmy,defer playing 
Ace till King is put on, or as long as 
possible. King not being m dummy, 
play Ace if it is only singly guarded, 
but not if doubly guarded, unless you 
infer lead is from Queen, Knave. 
Nine, etc., and likely to catch King in 
dealer's hand, when play Ace on 
Queen. 

The Queen being in dummy, retain the 
King; Queen not being in dummy, 
play King on Knave and if it wins re- 
turn highest. 

Play lowest but one. 



ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATIONS 



85 



7. TABLE OF PROBABILITIES 



Probable Number of Times in 100 Leads that Any Suit Will Go Round. 



Number of cards of suit held by leader . . 

The suit will not go around once 

The suit will go around once only 

The suit will go around twice only 

The suit will go around three times only 

Or, in other words, 

It will go around once or more 

It will go around twice or more 

It win go around thrice or more 



Times in 100 Leads. 



I 

4 5 

32 28 

48 56 

16; 11 



100.100 



96 
64 
16 



94 

57 




34 




14 




69 





In 2,000 deals, a player will hold no suit of more than four 
cards, about 700 times. He will hold a suit of five cards, 890 
times; a suit of six cards, 330 times; a suit of seven cards, 70 
times; and a suit of more than seven cards, 10 times. 

In The Field of April 5, 19, 26, 1902, are tables showing 
the dealer's and non-dealer's chances of scoring honours and 
of winning rubber at different stages of the score. 



THE DISCARD 

It will be seen by reference to the very able article in vol. 
Ixxxiii of Baily's Magazine that its author, Mr. Bergholt, con- 
siders the discard one of the most troublesome problems which 
writers on Bridge set themselves to solve, and, as he truly says, 
nothing illustrates its difficulty more than the variety and un- 
certainty of the conclusions arrived at.^ He observes that three 
of the most eminent writers on Bridge have reached three 
distinct and entirely different results: Archibald Dunn, whose 
letter on the subject (Sporting News, August 6, 1904) is well 
worth reading, recommends the strong discard in a suit dec- 
laration and the weak discard at No Trumps, while "Bads- 
worth" pronounces in favour of the weak discard for both 
Trumps and No Trumps, and Mr. Elwell advocates the strong 
discard whatever the declaration may be, except in the case of 
doubled spades. He adds: "Two of these three have made a 
fundamental and colossal mistake . . . all of the three methods 
advocated are wrong . . . the proper solution is the weak dis- 
card when there are trumps and the strong discard when there 
are none." The writer fully points out the advantages claimed 
for the various methods and, after summing them up and re- 
viewing them, in order to justify his own solution as above given, 
he brings in the echo, which, under the system he outlines, 
should mean: 

I. At the Trump Game. — (1) In the discard: the discarder's 

^ "Bascule" remarks that the discard, throughout England, "has fallen into 
inextricable confusion, no two persons agreeing as to what is or what is not 
orthodox." 



THE DISCARD 87 

strong suit; (2) in the play: (a) in suit led by partner, two only; 
(5) in suit led by the dealer, call for trumps. 
j II. At the No Trumps Game. — (1) In the discard, the dis- 
1 carder's weak suit; (2) in the play: (a) in suit led by partner, 
four or more of the same suit; (b) in suit led by the dealer, four 
or more in suit led by partner. 

The American author above alluded to points out three 
different discards used by Bridge players, viz.: Strength, both 
at Trumps and at No Trumps; strength with a trump and 
weakness at No Trumps; weakness both at Trumps and at 
No Trumps. He advises discarding only once from strength 
(safest and best), and after that as the situation and hand 
warrant. 

No better disposition can, perhaps, be made of this much- 
mooted question than to assemble here the views entertained 
by different authors on the subject. 

Dr. O'C. M. writes from the Ormonde Club, Dublin, that 
nearly all English players advise the weak discard. In his opin- 
ion, this is bad for two reasons : " It compels you to weaken your 
defence at its weakest point, and it gives to the attacking party, 
the dealer, the information of all others most important to him, 
namely, on which side he should finesse; against players of 
the strong discard, he has nothing to learn from the third hand's 
discard, but he is generally anxious to know which adversary 
is weak in his strong suits — this is precisely the information 
which the weak discarder gives him." 

In his articles on "The Discards at Bridge," the very able 
editor of The Field summed up the question, whether the dis- 
card against a No Trumps call should be from a strong suit or 
the weak, by saying that while it is frequently right for players 
to discard from their strong suits in cases where their partner 
would look for an indication of their strength, it is nearly always 
right to discard from a weak suit. . . . The principle which 



88 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Mr. Whitfeld believes in is, "that the suit which the players 
are endeavouring to establish should, as a rule, be kept. If it 
consists of ^ve or more cards, the player can afford to throw 
some away and still save game when dealer's score is less than 
six; but if it consists of four cards only, the cards are too 
valuable to be thrown away, and, at more advanced stages of 
the score, five, or even six cards, are required in the suit." 

The strong suit discard has been practised in India for some 
time and is strongly advocated by Robertson, who pronounces 
the weak suit discard as unsound, while "another well-known 
Indian writer, *Ace of Spades,' sums up dead against the 
strong suit discard. . . . Extraordinary positions require ex- 
traordinary measures, and for such no rules can be laid down." 
—(The Field.y 

Mr. Dalton, in a communication to The Field, remarked 
that "Hellespont" advocates a sort of mixed system of dis- 
carding — from strength when your opponent is leading, and 
from weakness when your partner is leading.^ "Hellespont" 
recently said that, " broadly speaking, there exist at the present 
time two schools of discards: (1) those who always throw away 
from the suit they do not wish led either against a trump dec- 
laration or when there are no trumps; and (2) those who do 
exactly the opposite. The former comprise the Enghsh school, 

^ The author of the " Theory and Practice of Bridge" ("Ace of 
Spades") thus expresses himself: ". . . the conventional discard, that is 
always whether your partner or your adversary is leading, from your strongest 
suit, is theoretically absurd and likely to be ruinous in practice, while the weak 
suit discard as a means of giving information is in theory absolutely sound 
. . ." He says, besides, " tne reverse discard in your own strong suit when 
the lead is with your partner is antediluvian and out of date; it means throwing 
away two cards which may quite likely be two tricks; similarly, I do not advocate 
the reverse discard when your adversary is leading winners merely to show 
great strength in the suit." 

2 This "alternative discard," from weakness or strength according to varying 
circumstances, has been called " a paper theory, of no value whatsoever." 



THE DISCARD 89 

the latter the American." He gives, in his excellent work, a 
complete system of discards meeting apparently every kind of 
situation, the hands which illustrate No Trumps and directive 
discards claiming especial attention. 

That any confusion should exist upon a question of such 
gravity as the discard — the key-stone of information play — is, 
of course, extremely unfortunate. . . . Speaking theoretically, 
however, the discard from weakness has little to recommend 
it. — {Badminton Magazine.) 

"Knave of Clubs" advocates the strong discard which, he 
says, "has the great advantage of at once telling your partner 
which suit you want." 

"Cut-Cavendish" says your first discard in a No Trumps 
call should be from your weakest, most worthless suit; in a suit 
declaration, from your best protected, strongest suit; against a 
doubled declaration, from weakest suit. He adds that in any 
event no attention need be paid to any discards other than the 
first. Mr. Melrose states that only the first discard should be 
from your strong suit. 

The Blenheim Club says the first discard (subject to ex- 
ceptions when you are forced to keep suits guarded) should be 
from suit you do not wish led. 

The discard from weakness means that a player's first dis- 
card is always from his weakest suit and his second discard 
from the other suit which he does not wish led to him. The 
discard from strength is just the opposite. Under this system 
a player's first discard is always from suit he wishes led to him. 
The advantages of the strong discard over the weak are: (1) 
that only one discard instead of two is required to indicate a 
player's best suit; and (2) that the discard from the strong suit 
often enables a player to keep better guards in his weaker suits, 
which is often of the greatest importance. — {Saturday Review.) 

By far the most general practice is to discard from the suit 



90 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

you do not wish led, at No Trumps and upon a suit declaration 
alike. — (Vanity Fair.) 

Except in the case of No Trumps, the discard should be 
from strength. . . . Against No Trumps, the discard should 
be from weakness. — (Dunn.) 

According to Mr. Foster, when playing against a trump call, 
the discard from the strongest, best protected suit, or the suit 
you wish led, is almost universally agreed to; against a No 
Trumps declaration, on the contrary, a player should never 
discard a card which may possibly be good for a trick. The 
" question of the proper discard at No Trumps " is fully treated 
of throughout the articles published in the New York Sun 
during the months of June and December, 1901. 

When playing against No Trumps, the discard should be 
from weakest suit, provided an honour is not unguarded or a 
possible trick hazarded. A singleton should seldom be dis- 
carded. — (" Leigh.") 

Against a suit or a No Trumps declaration, always make 
your first discard from the one suit which you do not wish your 
partner to lead you, and your second discard from the other 
suit which you do not wish led; so that, by a process of ehm- 
ination, your partner may arrive at a knowledge of the suit 
which you do want. When obliged to discard twice from your 
strong suit, you should discard a higher card the first time and 
a lower one the second, thereby indicating strength in the suit. 
This is known as the "call for a suit." The system of the 
Americans is the direct opposite of ours — they discard from 
strength. — (Dalton.) 

From The Field we are permitted to copy the letter, ad- 
dressed by " Red Lancer," under date Ceylon, August 16, 1905, 
reviewing the several methods of discarding, as follows: 

The authors of the different articles that have appeared on 
this vexed question, all write as though there were only two ways 



THE DISCARD 91 

of discarding: (1) from strength, and (2) from weakness — 
whereas there are no less than five quite distinct conventions, 
all more or less in vogue in different places, the others being (3) 
the French discard, (4) the seven discard, and (5) the circular 
discard. 

(1) The discard from strength is a good deal played in Amer- 
ica and more or less among Enghshmen. Its advantage is that 
it tells, by means of a single card, which suit one's partner desires, 
but this is at the expense of a card of that suit, the strong suit, 
and the loss of this card may be a very important factor in the 
game. I tliink this system of discarding is bad. 

(2) The discard from weakness is in use by the best players 
in England, and they are very safe to follow. The principle 
is to get rid of cards of least value and to show to one's partner 
which suit to avoid. 

(3) The French discard is in use over the whole Continent of 
Europe. Whether in No Trumps or in a suit declaration, a 
discard of a red suit indicates a call for the other red suit; a 
discard of a black suit indicates a call for the other black suit. 
Where, for instance, a red suit is being played and the dis- 
carder wants the other red suit led to him, he discards first his 
weaker black suit and then the other black suit. It is as good 
as and perhaps sounder than the discard from weakness 

- alone. 

(4) The seven discard. A first discard of a seven or liigher 
card represents a call for that suit; a first discard of a card lower 
than the seven represents weakness. 

(5) The circular discard, put forward by "Lynx," is 
described as throwing a high card from the suit above, or a low 
card from the suit below, the one which discarder wishes led 
to him, the suits being considered to be in perpetual rotation in 
their order of value, i. e.. Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades, 
Hearts, Diamonds, etc. The objections both to this and to the 
seven discard are so numerous and so obvious that there is no 
need w^asting time upon them. 

Now, a few words as to the letters on the subject. 

"Hellespont" suggests: "In No Trumps, partner being in 
possession, discard the weakest suit, dealer being in 
possession, from best guarded suit. In a suit declaration, 



92 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

against attacking trump, discard from best guarded suits ; against 
defensive trump, discard from weakest suits." 

Mr. Whitfeld ad\dses: "In No Trumps, a player's discard; 
does not indicate his strong suit unless he hopes to get it led' 
almost at once; discard from weakness. In a suit declaration 
the discard is a matter of judgment." This is a Httle vague and 
non-committal. 

K. M. says: "In No Trumps, discard from strength; in a 
suit declaration, from weakness." Mr. Dalton, in his book, 
advises the discard from weakness. " Badsworth, " in his work, 
says the same. "Keystone," in Vanity Fair, says the same.^ 

Quot homines, tot sententiw. 

"Red Laxcer." 

The foregoing letter from " Red Lancer " naturally attracted 
much attention and, in due time, brought forth several com- 
munications from which we make only the following extracts: 
(1) "As to the circular discard (which *Lynx' says goes near 
being the acme of discards) the odds are about eleven to one 
that the player can show his suit by a single discard without 
throwing a card higher than the nine, as compared with a 
chance of two to one by the French discard. The seven discard 
is really an extension of the discard from weakness combined 
with the echo to show strength in the suit." (2) "Such pure 
conventions as the French discard, the seven discard, and the 
circular discard are bad and to be avoided. Play ought to be 
guided by inferences which would very naturally occur to the 
good player." (3) A system of discarding in a No Trumps 
declaration, which is none other than the circular discard ascribed 
to "Lynx," has been adopted for some time past with great 
success at a social club in the north of London. It is as follows: 

^ See article relating to the " question of the circular discard versus the discard 
from weakness" and letter thereon, from S. W. D. W., of the Athenoeum Club, 
in Vanity Fair, May 18 and June 8, 1905, 



THE DISCARD 



93 



SUIT REQUIRED. 



Spades 
Clubs 
Diamonds 
Hearts 



High Heart or low Club 
High Spade or low Diamond 
High Club or low Heart 
High Diamond or low Spade 



The first discard, at any time, is the "call for a suit." A six, 
or under, is "low." Above a six is "high." 
I " Red Lancer " wrote again to The FieM, under date Ceylon, 
October 24, 1905, denying that the French discard is a disad- 
vantage as compared with an intelligent application of the Eng- 
lish method, and maintaining that it is infinitely superior to the 
discard from strength, of which it possesses nearly all the ad- 
vantages without the accompanying serious disadvantages. In 
the same publication, appears a letter from "Hellespont," 
wherein he asserts there can be no hard-and-fast rule for dis- 
carding and that the main principle governing a discard should 
never be subordinated to the subsidiary one of conveying in- 
formation. 

In an article which appeared in The Asian of June 23, 1906, 
reviewing the work of "Red Lancer," the Editor says: 
"We think the least effective system of discarding is the French 
discard, and the most complete * Lynx's' circular discard. 
Since, however, no one plan fits all comers, the * Hellespont' 
method of a different plan for different conditions approaches 
nearest to perfection." 




THE ELEVEN RULE. THE 
FOURTH BEST 

This rule is by many deemed of such supreme importance 
that a great deal of space has long been devoted to it by several 
writers. Most of them deem a thorough comprehension of it 
to be absolutely necessary for success at Bridge, more particu- 
larly in the No Trumps game, wherein it is justly termed the 
one bright guiding star for the play of third hand. 

It was long since the custom of Whist players to always 
originally lead the smallest of a long suit; then "Cavendish," 
in 1872, enabled them to show the lowest of G.ve through the 
lead of the 'penultimate, which development was extended in 
1879 by General Alfred W. Drayson, who recommended the lead 
of the ante-penultimate to indicate six cards; and, a few years 
later, Mr. Foster is said to have introduced the Eleven Rule of 
the fourth best, showing only three cards liigher than the one 
led, which innovation appears now to be more profitably em- 
ployed at Bridge than it ever was at Whist. 

As "Cavendish" expressed it, instead of counting from the 
bottom of the suit and calling the card led the lowest, penulti- 
mate, ante-penultimate, or pre-ante-penultimate, it is better to 
count from the top of the original suit and call it the fourth 
best, so that any one can reahse the fact that the leader still 
remains holder of exactly three cards higher than the card he 
has led. 

The American Leads system makes the leading of long suits 
uniform. The rule of the fourth best card includes the penulti- 



I 



THE ELEVEN RULE. THE FOURTH BEST 95 

mate, the ante-penultimate , and, if we may coin such a word, the 
pre-ante-penultimate from seven cards. — (Proctor.) 

The penultimate of "Cavendish" merely advised that a 
card remained in the hand lower than the one led, no matter 
how many higher. The American lead of fourth best tells us 
there are exactly three cards higher than the card led, no mat- 
ter how many lower. The second lead from the penultimate 
play gave no indication of the quality or the number of the 
high card left, but the second lead by the American play gives 
us information of both. — (Pettes.) 

The figure eleven, which gives its name to the Rule, was 
arrived at by counting the cards of a suit from the 2 up to the 
10, calling the Knave 11, the Queen 12, the King 13, and the 
Ace (highest card) 14. Upon the lead of any fourth best card, 
there remain, of course, unplayed, as many higher cards as there 
are numbers between it and the Ace, which is 14. Deducting 
then from 14 the 3 (number of higher cards) which remain in 
the leader's hand after he has played his fourth best, leaves 11, 
and, therefore, the difference between the pips on the card led 
and 11 shows the precise number of cards higher than the one 
led which are among the other players and not in the leader's 
hand. 

A few brief examples will show its working: 

I. Suppose you hold Queen, Knave, eight, seven of a suit 
and lead the seven, which is your fourth best, it indicates that 
there are (11 — 7) four higher cards in the other three hands. 
If dummy then lays down three higher cards than the seven, 
such as Ace, King, nine, it is evident that the fourth higher 
card, the ten, lies in one of the adversary's hands, and the play 
on the round will show its exact location. 

II. Suppose, when leader opens with a seven, dummy lays 
down Queen, eight, and another, and third hand holds Ace, Ten, 
and a small card. It is certain that the dealer cannot beat the 



96 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

seven, as there are only four cards against the leader higher 
than the one led, and they are all visible to the third player. 
If second hand covers the seven with an eight, the third 
player puts down his Ten, then leads the Ace and a small one, 
and every trick is assured. 

III. Suppose leader opens with a six (showing five higher), 
that the dummy lays down Knave, seven, four, and that third 
hand holds King, nine, two, dealer is marked with only one 
card higher than the six, and that card may be Ace, Queen, 
Ten, or eight. If the No Trumps declaration was made by 
the dealer, the probability is that the one card is Ace, or at 
any rate Queen, in neither of which cases can anything be 
gained by putting on the King as third hand. In this instance, 
third hand should play his nine on the six led, whether second 
hand covers or not, and if his nine is allowed to win, lead 
King at once in order to clear partner's suit. 

IV. Suppose leader opens with a five, that dummy lays 
down Knave, seven, three, and that third hand holds Queen, 
nine, six. Dealer can have only one card higher than the 
^Ye, and if the declaration was made by him, it is likely to 
be Ace or King. If third hand plays the Queen, it is won 
by the Ace or King in dealer's hand, and the Knave in dummy 
remains good for third trick. If, on the other hand, the third 
player finesses his nine, every subsequent trick in the suit is 
assured. 

Y. Suppose leader opens with a seven, that dummy lays 
down eight, three, and that the third hand holds King, nine, 
four. The dealer is marked with one card higher than the 
seven, but in this case its value is absolutely certain. The 
four missing higher cards are Ace, Queen, Knave, and Ten, 
and it is positive that the original leader cannot hold either 
Ace, Queen, Knave; or Ace, Knave, Ten; or Queen, Knave, 
Ten; for he would have led one of the honours from either one 



THE ELEVEN RULE. THE FOURTH BEST 97 

of these combinations; therefore the cards in his hands must 
be Ace, Queen, Ten, leaving the Knave plainly marked with the 
dealer. 

The four last examples are taken from the Saturday Review \ 
the one following is from *' Badsworth." 

VI. Suppose the six of Diamonds was led on a No Trumps 
hand, the leader's partner, who holds the Ace, King, nine, and 
two, knows that his adversaries have only two higher cards 
between them, and when the dummy lays down the Queen, 
eight, four, three, it is readily seen that the dealer cannot beat 
the six. The leader held Knave, Ten, seven, six, and the 
dealer held the five. 

Contrary to the opinions of others — ;like Dalton, "Bads- 
worth," Dunn, ''Slam/' etc. — ''Hellespont" protests "most em- 
phatically against the establishment of the fourth-best lead 
when there are no trumps," saying that "under no possible 
circumstances whatever can the lead of a three, four, five, or six 
from a fourth-best leader be of any use at all to his partner." 
—{The Field.) Mr. W. H. Whitfeld indorses this and thinks 
"there is very little to choose between the lead of the fourth 
best and the lowest." He believes, however, that the lead of 
the fourth best is bound to survive. 

The views of "Hellespont," as above given, appear to re- 
main unchanged, as shown at pages 221 and 444, fifth edition, 
of his well-known work on Bridge. 

Incidentally, it may be mentioned, according to Mr. William 
Mill Butler, that the Boston Herald, not very long ago, published 
twenty-two hands alleged to have been played by Guillaum.e 
Le Breton Deschappelles, whom the celebrated James Clay 
pronounced to be "the first whist player, beyond any com- 
parison, the world has ever seen," and that some of the hands 
showed he was quite familiar with the lead of the fourth best. 
And yet he died as far back as 1847! 



THE TWELVE RULE. THE 
THIRD BEST 

For the lead of the fourth-best card, it has been proposed 
by some players to substitute the more modem lead of the third 
best from twelve. Robertson and TN'ollaston, who fully go into 
the merits claimed for the latter, under the aforenamed cap- 
tion, maintain that the inferences to be drawn, from player's 
showing that there are against him only two cards higher than 
the one led, are very much more useful and simpler than the 
inferences to be drawn through the fourth best. The reason of 
this is narrowed down to the fact "that the gap between the 
third-best card of your long suit and its fourth-best card may 
be ami:hing from one to nine cards." Mr. Foster maintains 
that the innovation does not appear to serve any useful pur- 
pose, admitting that " some situations can be shown in which it 
is apparently more informatory, just as positions may be picked 
out that will favour any eccentric method of play." 

On the other hand, "Ace of Spades" favours the third best, 
saying : " In all important respects it appears to possess advan- 
tages, while I have not yet in practice found that, compared 
with the fourth best, it is ever really disadvantageous." 



98 



I 



GENERAL HINTS 

1. The adopted code of laws governing the game should 
first be rigidly observed. 

2. The Westminster Papers maxim deserves repetition here: 
"We cannot all have genius, but we can all have attention. 

The absence of intelligence we cannot help; inattention is un- 
pardonable." 

3. At all stages of the game, play to the score. Let the 
score, which has justly been termed "the backbone of good 
play," be always consulted and serve as your guiding light in 
making, doubling, or passing a declaration and in playing the 
hand. 

[The Scoring Cards should always remain in plain view on 
the table.] 

4. There should be no inflections of voice, no hesitation, 
before making, passing, doubling, etc.; no such expressions as, 
for instance, " I am afraid I must make it Spades," " I think I 
had better pass it," etc.; no intimation, byword or gesture, as to 
character of hand or denoting either pleasure or displeasure at 
a certain play. As has very justly been remarked, such ex- 
pressions as "I must pass" might, preconcertedly, mean "De- 
clare Hearts"; "I think I will pass," could imply "Make it No 
Trumps," etc.; while by saying promptly, deliberately, unhes- 
itatingly, "I make it," "I pass it," "I double it," "I leave it 
to you," etc., etc., the impression is conveyed to every one — 
your partner especially — that you hold no doubtful hand. 
Avoid the " hesitancy and indicative mannerism " spoken of by 
"Badsworth." Rigour, the rule. 

99 

LOFC 



100 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

5. No one should play a card in such manner, nor ask that 
any particular card be drawn or placed, so as to call especial 
attention thereto. 

6. No player should, of course, purposely incur a penalty, 
especially through a revoke. 

7. Carefully assort your cards and, more particularly when 
you are dummy, place them in order of sequence and in alternate 
red and black suits, with the trumps — if any declared — to the 
right. 

8. When collecting the tricks, do so in orderly fashion so that 
their exact number may at once be ascertained. 

9. First practise remembering, at different stages of the 
game, the number of cards that are out in each suit, if you wish 
to rapidly master the remembrance of the particular designation 
of each card played. 

10. Remember partner's original lead. Especially impor- 
tant and always right to return at No Trumps, unless you are 
satisfied that you hold a much stronger suit or one easier to 
establish. 

11. Against No Trumps, always open from your longest 
suit. If you possess three or more honours, lead off with one; 
otherwise lead your fourth-best or third-best card. [Eleven 
Rule— Twelve Rule.] 

12. Bear in mind that the lead is not taken as an invite in 
Bridge, except at No Trumps. 

13. Always lead highest of a sequence, unless the card hap- 
pens to be the Ace, and always "play and try to win tricks with 
the lowest of any sequence. 

14. If you are sitting on dummy's right, you lead through 
dummy's strength; if on his left, you lead up to his weakness. 

15. As to finessing, Mr. Hulme-Beaman quotes one of the 
best Constantinople players as saying: "I would insist upon the 
necessity of never, never, under any circumstances whatever. 



GENERAL HINTS 101 

finessing against your partner; whatever he leads, you must put 
on your highest card." (See page 61 for exceptions.) 

16. As dealer, if you and your dummy each hold, say, four 
or five cards of one suit, it may at times be well to discard that 
suit from the dummy so as to convey the impression that you 
are weak in that particular suit. 

17. As dealer, it is needless to say, one has the advantage 
over his adversaries, by playing the two hands and knowing ex- 
actly what cards are against such hands in all the suits. It is 
said that the odd trick or more is generally won by dealer more 
than twice as often as it is by his opponents. 

18. Dummy should, properly, not leave his seat, nor look 
over the hands of others, etc. He should implicitly observe the 
rules. (American Laws, Sec. 61-64.) 

19. It is well to bear in mind that the probabilities are fully 
three to one in favour of your winning the rubber in the event of 
your winning the first game. 

20. Mr. Dalton notes that an Ace has three uses: to win a 
trick, to capture a higher card of opponents, and to serve as a 
card of re-entry. 

21. Watch the fall of every card, particularly the discards, 
and bear well in mind that no card is too small not to be worth 
registering in your memory. — {Melrose.) 



LAWS 

THE AMERICAN LAWS OF BRIDGE ^ 

By 'permission of the Whist Club of New York 

The Rubber 

Section 1. The rubber is the best of three games. If the 
first two games be won by the same partners, the third game 
is not played. 

Scoring 

Sec. 2. A game consists of thirty points obtained by tricks 
alone, exclusive of any points counted for honours. Chicane, 
or Slam. 

Sec. 3. Every deal (hand) is played out, and any points in 
excess of the thirty points necessary for the game are counted. 

Sec. 4. Each trick above six counts two points when Spades 
are trumps, four points when Clubs are trumps, six points when 
Diamonds are trumps, eight points when Hearts are trumps, 
lid twelve points when there are no trumps. 

Sec. 5. Honours are Ace, King, Queen, Knave, and Ten 
of the trump suit, or the four Aces when no trump is 
declared. 

Sec. 6. Honours are credited to the original holders and are 
valued as follows: 

^ Attention has been called, in footnotes, only to material differences found in 
the English Code of 1905 as revised by the joint committees of the Portland and 
Turf clubs. 

102 



THE AMERICAN LAWS OF BRIDGE 



103 



Declaration. 


A 


* 


♦ 


¥ 


No 
Trumps. 




2 

4 
8 
16 
10 
18 
20 
4 


4 
8 
16 
32 
20 
36 
40 
8 


6 
12 
24 
48 
30 
54 
60 
12 


8 
16 
32 
64 
40 
72 
80 
16 


12 


. f Three honours 


30 
40 


g J Four honours (all in one hand) 


100 



















Rubber, 100; Grand Slam, 40; Little Slam, 20. 

Sec. 7. If a player and his partner make 13 tricks, inde- 
pendently of any tricks gained by the revoke penalty, they score 
Slam and add forty points to the honour count. 

Sec. 8. Little Slam is twelve tricks similarly made, and adds 
twenty points to the honour count. 

Sec. 9. Chicane (one hand void of trumps) is equal in value 
to simple honours, i. e., if partner of player having Chicane 
scores honours he adds the value of three honours to his score, 
while if the adversaries score honours, it deducts an equal value 
from theirs. 1 

Sec. 10. The value of honours, Slam, Little Slam, or Chicane 
is in no wise affected by doubling or redoubling. 

Sec. 11. At the conclusion of a rubber the total scores for 
tricks and honours (including Chicane and Slam), obtained by 
each side, are footed up, and one hundred points are added to 
the score of the winners of the rubber. The difference between 
the completed scores is the number of points won or lost by the 
winners of the rubber. 

Sec. 12. If an erroneous score affecting honours. Chicane, or 
Slam be proved, such mistake may be corrected at any time 
before the score of the rubber has been made up and agreed 
upon. 

^ Double Chicane (both hands devoid of trumps) is equal in value to four 
honours, and the value thereof must be deducted from the total honour score 
of the adversaries. 



104 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Sec. 13. If an erroneous score affecting tricks be proved, 
such mistake must be corrected prior to the conclusion of the 
game in which it has occurred, and such game shall not be con- 
sidered as concluded until the following deal has been com- 
pleted and the trump declared, unless it be that the game is the 
last one of the rubber — then the score is subject to inquiry until 
an agreement between the sides (as to the value of the rubber) 
hall have been reached. 

Cutting 

Sec. 14. The Ace is the lowest card. 

Sec. 15. In all cases every player must cut from the same 
pack. 

Sec. 16. Should a player expose more than one card, he 
must cut again. 

Forming Tables 

Sec. 17. If there are more than four candidates for seats at a 
table, the players are selected by cutting, those first in the room 
having the preference. The four who cut the lowest cards 
play first. 

Sec. 18. Aher the table is formed, the players cut to decide 
on partners — the two lowest playing against the two highest. 
The lowest is the dealer, who has the choice of cards and seats, 
and who, ha\dng once made his selection, must abide by it. 

Sec. 19. Should the two players who cut lowest secure 
cards of equal value, they shall cut again to determine v> Inch of 
the two shall deal, and the lower on the recut deals. 

Sec. 20. Should three players cut cards of equal value, they 
cut again; if the fourth card be the highest, the two lowest of 
the new cut are partners and the lower of the two the dealer; if, 
however, the fourth card be the lowest, the two highest on the 
recut are partners and the original lowest the dealer. 



THE AMERICAN LAWS OF BRIDGE 105 

Sec. 21. Six players constitute a full table, and no player 
shall have a right to cut into a game which is complete. 

Sec. 22. When there are more than six candidates, the 
right to succeed any player who may retire is acquired by an- 
nouncing the desire to do so, and such announcement shall con- 
stitute a prior right to the first vacancy. 

Cutting Out 
Sec. 23. If at the end of a rubber admission be claimed by 
one or two candidates, the player or players having played 
a greater number of consecutive rubbers shall withdraw; but 
wheti all have played the same number, they must cut to decide 
upon the outgoers; the highest are out. 

Rights of Entry and Re-entry 

Sec. 24. A candidate desiring to enter a table must declare 
such wish before any player at the table cuts a card, either 
for the purpose of commencing a fresh rubber or of cutting out. 

Sec. 25. In the formation of new tables, those candidates 
who have neither belonged to nor played at any other table have 
the prior right of entry. Those who have already played decide 
their right of admission by cutting. 

Sec. 26. A player who cuts into one table while belonging 
to another shall forfeit his prior right of re-entry into the latter, 
unless by doing so he enables three candidates to form a fresh 
table. In this event, he may signify his intention of returning 
to his original table, and his place at the new one can be filled. 

Sec. 27. Should any player quit the table during the progress 
— prior to the conclusion — of a rubber, he may, with the consent 
of the other three players, appoint a substitute during his ab- 
sence; but such appointment shall become void with the con- 
clusion of the rubber, and shall not in any way affect the sub- 
stitute's rights. 



106 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Sec. 28. If any one break up a table, the remaining players 
have a prior right to play at other tables. 

Shuffling 

Sec. 29. The pack must neither be shuffled below the 
table nor so that the face of any card be seen.^ 

Sec. 30. The dealer's partner must collect the cards for the 
ensuing deal, and he has the first right to shuffle the cards. 
Each player has the right to shuffle subsequently.^ The dealer 
has the right to shuffle last, but should a card or cards be seen 
during his shuffling, or while giving the pack to be cut, he must 
reshuffle. 

Sec. 31. Each player, after shuffling, must place the cards 
properly collected and face downward to the left of the player 
next to deal. 

The Deal 

Sec. 32. Each player deals in his turn; the order of deal- 
ing goes to the left. 

Sec. 33. The player on the dealer's right cuts the pack, and, 
in dividing it, he must not leave fewer than four cards in either 
packet; if, in cutting or in replacing one of the two packets on 
the other, a card be exposed, or if there be any confusion of the 
cards, or a doubt as to the exact place in which the pack was 
divided, there must be a fresh cut. 

Sec. 34. When the player whose duty it is to cut has once 
separated the pack, he can neither reshuffle nor recut the cards. 

Sec. 35. Should the dealer shuffle the cards after the pack 
is cut, the pack must be cut again. 

Sec. 36. The fifty-two cards shall be dealt face downward. 

^ English Code, Sees. 28, 29: "The pack must not be shuffled during the 
play of the hand. A pack, having been played with, must neither be shuffled by 
dealing it into packets, nor across the table." 

2 English Code, Sec. 30: "once only." 



THE AMERICAN LAWS OF BRIDGE 107 

The deal is not completed until the last card has been dealt 
face downward. 

Sec. 37. There is no misdeal. 

A New Deal 
Sec. 38. There must be a new deal — 

(a) If the cards be not dealt into four packets, one at a time, and in regular 
rotation, beginning at the dealer's left. 

(6) If, during a deal, or during the play of a hand, the pack be proved 
incorrect or imperfect. 

(c) If any cards be faced in the pack. 

{d) If any player have dealt to him a greater number of cards than thirteen. ^ 

(e) If the dealer deal two cards at once^ and then deal a third before correct- 
ing the error. 

(/) If the dealer omit to have the pack cut and the adversaries call atten- 
tion to the fact prior to the conclusion of the deal and before look- 
ing at their cards. 

(gr) Should the last card not come in its regular order to the dealer. 

Sec. 39. There may be a new deal — 

(a) If the dealer or his partner expose a card. Either adversary may 

claim a new deal. 
(6) If either adversary expose a card. The dealer may claim a new deal, 
(c) If, before fifty-one cards are dealt, the dealer should look at any card. 

His adversaries have the right to see it, and either may exact a 

new deal. 
id) If, in dealing, one of the last cards be exposed by the dealer or his 

partner, and the deal is completed before there is reasonable time 

for either adversary to decide as to a new deal. But in all other 

cases such penalties must be claimed prior to the conclusion of the 

deal. 

Sec. 40. The claim for a new deal by reason of a card ex- 
posed during the deal may not be made by a player who has 
looked at any of his cards. If a new deal does not take place, 
the card exposed during the deal cannot be called. 

^ English Code, Sec. 39: "And any one or more of the others less than 
thirteen cards." 

^ English Code, Sec. 39: "Or two cards to the same hand." 



108 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Sec. 41. Should three players have their right number of 
cards, the fourth have less than thirteen and not discover such 
deficiency until he has played any of his cards, the deal stands 
good; should he have played, he, not being dummy, is answer- 
able for any revoke he may have made, as if the missing card or 
cards had been in his hand. He may search the other pack for 
it or them. 

Sec. 42. If, during the play of a hand, a pack be proven in- 
correct or imperfect, such proof renders only the current deal 
void, and does not affect any prior score. The dealer must deal 
again (Law 38b). 

Sec. 43. Any one dealing out of turn or with the adversaries' 
cards must be corrected before the play of the first card, other- 
wise the deal stands good. 

Sec. 44. A player can neither cut, shuffle, nor deal for his 
partner without the permission of his opponents. 

Declaring Trumps 

Sec. 45. The trump is declared. ^ 
No card is turned by any of the players. 

(a) The dealer may either make the trmnp or pass the declaration to his 

partner. 

(b) If the declaration be passed to partner, he must declare the trump. 

Sec. 46. Should the dealer's partner make the trump with- 
out receiving permission from the dealer, either adversary may 

demand : 

1. That the trump shaU stand, or 

2. That there shall be a new deal, 

provided, that no declaration as to doubling has been made. 
Should the dealer's partner pass the declaration to the dealer, 
it shall be the right of either adversary to claim a new deal or to 

^ English Code, Sees. 47, 48, gives words to be used in making and passing the 
declaration. 



THE AMERICAN LAWS OF BRIDGE 109 

compel the offending player to declare the trump; provided, 
that no declaration as to doubling has been made. 

Sec. 47. The adversaries of the dealer must not consult as to 
which of the penalties under the foregoing law shall be exacted. 

Sec. 48. If either of the dealer's adversaries makes a declara- 
tion, the dealer may, after looking at his hand, either claim a 
new deal or proceed as if no declaration had been made. 

Sec. 49. A declaration once made cannot be altered. 

Doubling, Redoubling, Etc. 

Sec. 50. The effect of doubling, redoubling, etc., is that the 
value of each trick above six is doubled, quadrupled, and so on. 

Sec. 51. After the trump declaration has been made by the 
dealer or his partner, their adversaries have the right to double. 
The eldest hand has the first right. If he does not wish to 
double, he may ask liis partner, "May I lead.^" His partner 
must answer, "Yes" or "I double." 

Sec. 52. If either of their adversaries elect to double, the 
dealer and his partner have the right to redouble. The player 
who has declared the trump shall have the first right. He may 
say, "I redouble," or "Satisfied." Should he say the latter, his 
partner may redouble. 

Sec. 53. If the dealer or his partner elect to redouble, their 
adversaries shall have the right to again double. The original 
doubler has the first right. 

Sec. 54. If the right-hand adversary of the dealer double 
before his partner has asked "May I lead.^" the maker of the 
trump shall have the right to say whether or not the double shall 
stand. If he decide that the double shall stand, the process of 
redoubling may continue as described in paragraphs 52, 53, 55. 

Sec. 55. Whenever the value of each trick above six exceeds 
one hundred points, there shall be no further doubling in that 
hand, if any player objects ; the first right to continue the redoub- 



no THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

ling on behalf of a partnership belonging to that player who has 
last redoubled. 1 Should he, however, express himself satisfied, 
the right to continue the redoubhng passes to his partner. 
Should any player redouble out of turn, the adversary' who last 
doubled shall decide whether or not such double shall stand. 
If it is decided that the redoubhng shaU stand, the process of 
redoubhng may continue as described in this and foregoing laws 
(52 and 53). If any double or redouble out of turn be not ac- 
cepted, there shaU be no further doubhng in that hand. Any 
consultation between partner as to doubhng or redoubhng will 
entitle the maker of the t^mp or either adversarj^ without 
consultation, to a new deal. 

Sec. 56. If the eldest hand lead before the doubling be com- 
pleted, his partner may redouble only with the consent of the 
adversar}^ who last doubled; but such lead shall not affect the 
right of either adversary to double. 

Sec. 57. When the question, "May I lead.^" has been an- 
swered in the affirmative, or when the player who has the last 
right to continue the doubling expresses himself satisfied, the 
play shall begin. 

Sec. 58. If the eldest hand lead without asking permission, 
his partner may only double if the maker of the trump consent. 
If the right-hand adversary of the dealer says, "May I play.^" 
out of turn, the eldest hand does not thereby lose the right to 
double. 

Sec. 59. If the right-hand adversary of the dealer lead out 
of turn, the maker of the trump may call a suit from the eldest 
hand, who may only double if the maker of the trump consent. 

^ English Code, Sec. 58, says that the process of redoubhng may continue 
"until the limit of 100 points is reached." 

The limit of 100 points on the value of the tricks when doubled and re- 
doubled does not seem to prevail in Australia, says a correspondent of the 
Sportmg Neivs, who recently told of an occasion when the Hearts make was 
doubled up to 512 a trick at the Perth Club, W. A. 



THE AMERICAN LAWS OF BRIDGE 111 

I In this case no penalty can be exacted after the dummy hand 
or any part of it is on the table, since he (dummy) has accepted 
the situation. 

Sec. 60. A declaration, as to doubling or redoubling, once 
I made, cannot be altered. 

Dummy 

Sec. 61. As soon as the eldest hand has led, the dealer's 
partner shall place his cards face upward on the table, and 
the duty of playing the cards from that hand shall devolve 
upon the dealer, unassisted by his partner. 

Sec. 62. After exposing his cards, the dealer's partner has no 
part whatever in the game, except that he has the right to ask 
the dealer if he has none of the suit to which he may have 
renounced. Until the trump is declared and the dealer's part- 
ner's hand is exposed on the table, he has all the rights of a 
player and may call attention to any irregularity of, or to demand, 
equally with the dealer, any penalty from, the adversaries. 

Sec. 63. If he should call attention to any other incident of 
the play, in consequence of which any penalty might be exacted, 
the fact of his so doing precludes the dealer exacting such penalty. 
He has the right, however, to correct an erroneous score, and he 
may at any time during the play correct the claim of either 
adversary to a penalty to which the latter is not entitled. He 
may also call his partner's attention to the fact that the trick 
has not been completed. 

Sec. 64. If the dealer's partner, by touching a card or other- 
wise, suggest the play of a card from dummy, either of the 
adversaries may, but without consultation with his partner, 
call on the dealer to play or not to play the card suggested. 

Sec. 65. Dummy is not liable to the penalty for a revoke 
(as his adversaries see his cards), and if he should revoke and the 
error be not discovered until the trick is turned and quitted, 
the trick stands good. 



112 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Sec. 66. When the dealer draws a card from his own hand, 
such card is not considered as played until actually quitted, but 
should he name or touch a card from the dummy hand, such 
card is considered as played, unless the dealer in touching the 
card or cards says, " I arrange," or words to that effect. 

Cards Exposed Before Play 

Sec. 67. If, after the deal has been completed, and before 
the trump declaration has been made, either the dealer or his 
partner expose a card from his hand, either adversary may, 
without consulting with his partner, claim a new deal. 

Sec. 68. If, after the deal has been completed, and before a 
card is led, any player shall expose a card, his partner shall 
forfeit any right to double or redouble which he otherwise would 
have been entitled to exercise; and in case of a card being so 
exposed by the leader's partner, the dealer may either call the 
card or require the leader not to lead the suit of the exposed 
card. 

Cards Exposed During Play 

. Sec. 69. All cards exposed by the dealer's adversaries are 
liable to be called, and such cards must be left face upward on 
the table. 

Sec. 70. The following are exposed cards: 

1. Two or more cards played at once. 

2. Any card dropped with its face upward, or in any way exposed on the 

table, even though snatched up so quickly that no one can name it. 

3. Every card so held by a player that any portion of its face may be seen 

by his partner. 

Sec. 71. A card dropped on the floor or elsewhere below the 
table is not an exposed card. 

Sec. 72. If two or more cards be played at once by either of 
the dealer's adversaries, the dealer shall have the right to call 
which one he pleases to the current trick, and the other card 



I 



THE AMERICAN LAWS OF BRIDGE 113 

or cards shall remain face upward on the table and may be 
demanded at any time. 

Sec. 73. If, without waiting for his partner to play, either 
of the dealer's adversaries should play on the table the best card, 
or lead one which is a winning card, as against the dealer and 
dummy, or should continue (without waiting for his partner to 
play) to lead several such cards, the dealer may demand that 
the partner of the player in fault, win, if he can, the first, or any 
other of these tricks, and the other cards thus improperly played 
are exposed cards. 

Sec. 74. If either or both of the dealer's adversaries throw 
his or their cards on the table face upward, such cards are ex- 
posed and are liable to be called; but if either adversary retain 
his hand he cannot be forced to abandon it. Cards exposed 
by the dealer are not liable to be called. If the dealer should 
say, "I have the rest," or any other words indicating that the 
remaining tricks are his, he may be required to place his cards 
face upward on the table. The adversaries of the dealer are 
not liable to have any of their cards called should they expose 
them, believing the dealer's claim to be true, should it subse- 
quently prove false. 

Sec. 75. If a player who has rendered himself liable to have 
the highest or lowest of a suit called (Laws 82, 91, and 100), 
fail to play as directed; or if, when called on to lead one suit, 
lead another, having in his hand one or more cards of the suit 
demanded (Laws 76), or if called upon to win or lose a trick, 
fail to do so when he can (Laws 73, 82, and 100), he is liable to 
the penalty for revoke, unless such play be corrected before the 
trick is turned and quitted. 

Leads Out of Turn 

Sec. 76. If either of the dealer's adversaries lead out of 
turn, the dealer may either call the card erroneously led, or 



114 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

may call a suit when it is next the turn of either adversary to 
lead. 

Sec. 77. If the dealer lead out of turn, either from his own 
hand or dummy, he incurs no penalty- but he may not rectify 
the error after the second hand has played. 

Sec. 78. If any player lead out of turn and the other three 
follow him, the trick is complete and the error cannot be recti- 
fied; but if only the second or second and third play to the false 
lead, their cards may be taken back; there is no penalty against 
any one except the original offender, who, if he be one of the 
dealer's adversaries, may be penahsed as pro^dded in Law 76. 

Sec. 79. In no case can a player be compelled to play a 
card which would obhge him to revoke. 

Sec. 80. The call of an exposed card may be repeated at 
every trick until such card has been played. 

Sec. 81. If a player called on to lead a suit have none of it, 
the penalty is paid. 

C.\HDS Pl.\yed IX Error 

Sec. 82. Should the fourth hand Tnot being dummy or 
dealer) play before the second has played to the trick, the 
latter may be called upon to play his highest or lowest card 
of the suit played, or to win or lose the trick. 

Sec. 83. If any one, not being dummy, omit playing to a 
former trick and such error be not discovered and corrected 
until he has played to the next, the adversaries may claim a new 
deal; should they decide that the deal stands good, the surplus 
card at the end of the hand is considered to have been played 
to the imperfect trick, but does not constitute a revoke therein. 

Sec. 84. If any one (except dummy) play t^vo cards to the 
same trick^ and the mistake be not corrected, he is answerable 

' English Code, Sec. 88, adds: " or mix a card with a trick to which it does not 
properly belong." 



I 



THE AMERICAN LAWS OF BRIDGE 115 

for any consequent revokes he may have made. If during the 
play of the hand the error be detected, the tricks may be counted 
face downward, in order to ascertain whether there be among 
them a card too many; should this be the case, the trick which 
contains a surplus card may be examined and the card restored 
to its original holder, who (not being dummy) shall be liable 
for any revoke he may meanwhile have made. 

The Revoke 

Sec. 85. Should a player (other than dummy) holding one 
or more cards of the suit led, play a card of a different suit, 
he revokes. The penalty for a revoke takes precedence of all 
other counts. 

Sec. 86. Three tricks taken from the revoking player and 
added to those of the adversaries shall be the penalty for a 
revoke. 

Sec. 87. The penalty is applicable only to the score of the 
game in which it occurs. 

Sec. 88. Under no circumstances can the revoking side 
score game. Slam, or Little Slam in that hand. Whatever their 
previous score may have been, the side revoking cannot attain 
a higher score toward game than twenty-eight. 

Sec. 89. A revoke is established if the trick in which it 
occurs is turned and quitted, i. e., the hand removed from the 
trick after it has been gathered and placed face downward on 
the table ; or if either the revoking player or his partner, whether 
in his right turn or otherwise, has led or played to the following 
trick. 

Sec. 90. A player may ask his partner if he has no card of 
the suit which he has renounced; should the question be asked 
before the trick is turned and quitted, subsequent turning and 
quitting does not establish a revoke, and the error may be cor- 
rected unless the question be answered in the negative, or 



116 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

unless the revoking player or his partner has led or played to 
the following trick. 

Sec. 91. If a player correct his mistake in time to save a 
revoke, any player or players who have followed him may 
withdraw their cards and substitute others, and the cards so 
withdrawn are not exposed cards, hable to be called. If the 
player in fault be one of the dealer's adversaries, the card played 
in error is an exposed card, and the dealer can call it whenever 
he pleases ; or he may require the offender to play his highest or 
loY^est card of the suit to the trick in which he has renounced; 
but this penalty cannot be exacted from the dealer. 

Sec. 92. At the end of a hand the claimants of a revoke may 
search all the tricks. If the cards have been mixed, the claim 
may be urged and proved if possible; but no proof is necessary, 
and the revoke is established if, after it has been claimed, the 
accused player or his partner mix the cards before they have 
been sufficiently examined by the adversaries. 

Sec. 93. A revoke must be claimed before the cards have 
been cut for the following deal. 

Sec. 94. Should the players on both sides subject them- 
selves to the revoke penalty, neither can win the game by that 
hand. 

Sec. 95. The revoke penalty may be claimed for as many 
revokes as occur during a hand; but in no event can more than 
thirteen tricks be scored in any one hand (see Law 7). 

General Rules 

Sec. 96. There should not be any consultation between 
partners as to the enforcement of penalties. If they do so 
consult, the penalty is paid. 

Sec. 97. Once a trick is complete, turned, and quitted, it 
must not be looked at (except under Law 84) until the end of 
the hand. 



THE AMERICAN LAWS OF BRIDGE 117 

I Sec. 98. Any player during the play of a trick, or after the 
I four cards are played and before they are touched for the pur- 
pose of gathering them together, may demand that the cards 
be placed before their respective players. 

Sec. 99. If either of the dealer's adversaries, prior to his 
partner's playing, should call attention to the trick, either by 
saying it is his, or, without being requested so to do, by naming 
his card or drawing it toward him, the dealer may require the 
opponent's partner to play his highest or lowest card of the suit 
led, or to win or lose the trick. 

Sec. 100. Should either of the dealer's adversaries, during 
the play of a hand, make any unauthorised reference to any 
incident of the play, or should he call his partner's attention 
to the fact that he is about to play or lead out of turn, the dealer 
may call a suit from the adversary whose turn it is next to 
lead. 

Sec. 101. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred, 
the offender is bound to give reasonable time for the decision 
of his adversaries; but if a wrong penalty be demanded none 
can be enforced. 

Sec. 102. Where the dealer or his partner has incurred a 
penalty, one of his adversaries may say, "Partner, will you 
exact the penalty or shall I "^ " but whether this is said or not, if 
either adversary name the penalty, his decision is final. 

New Cards 

Sec. 103. Unless a pack be imperfect, no player shall have 
the right to call for one new pack. If fresh cards are de- 
manded, two packs must be furnished and paid for by the 
player who has demanded them. If they are furnished dur- 
ing a rubber, the adversaries shall have their choice of the 
new cards. If it is the beginning of a new rubber, the dealer, 
whether he or one of his adversaries be the party calling for the 



118 THE BRIDGE BLIT: BOOK 

new cards, shall have the choice. Xew cards must be called 
for before the pack is cut for a new deal. 

Sec. 104. A card or cards torn or marked must be replaced 
by agreement or new cards furnished. 

Bystanders 

Sec. 105. While a bystander, by agreement among the 
players, may decide any question, yet he must on no account 
say anything unless appealed to; and if he make any remark 
which calls attention to an oversight affecting the score, or to 
the exaction of a penalty, he is hable to be called on by the play- 
ers to pay the stakes on that rubber. 



HOW OTHER BRIDGE GAMES 
ARE PLAYED 

Dummy Bridge 

Dummy Bridge is played ordinarily in single games instead 
of rubbers, by three persons, the winner of the game adding 
fifty points to his or her score. The original dummy remains 
such during entire game, or during rubber if such is played. 
Dummy is held by player who draws, or cuts, the lowest card, 
and he always has first deal. Dealer's left-hand adversary is the 
only player who has privilege of going over. Otherwise, the 
play is same as in ordinary Bridge. — {W. M. Butler.) 

To the above should properly be made these important 
additions: If dealer is partner of dummy, he must make 
declaration before looking at the other hand. The left-hand 
adversary cannot go over (double) if he has previously looked 
at the hand dealt out at dealer's right. 

There are several ways of playing the game, but the above 
is the most simple. The others involve one or more combina- 
tions, such as, for instance, the change of seats at every deal, 
the exposure of two hands, the passing of the declaration, as 
well as the compulsory make for dummy. This compulsory 
make is declared to be No Trumps if dummy holds either four 
or three aces; if dummy does not hold three Aces, his numeri- 
cally longest suit must be called; if he holds two or three suits 
of equal length, the strongest in pip value (Ace counting 11 
and each honour 10) is selected; if he holds suits of equal 
strength, the one having highest trick value must be declared. 

119 



120 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 



Double Dummy Bridge 

This is played by two players only. They keep their places 
throughout the rubber. 

They both cut, deal alternately, and make or pass declara- 
tions as at Dummy Bridge. The lowest card has first deal. 

When dealer has to pass the declaration to his partner, the 
same compulsor}- make attaches as explained for Dummy 
Bridge — acting as a handicap to his seeing the contents of t^'o 
hands. 

Either player is hable to penalt}^ for revoking in his own 
hand but not with that of dummy. 

Leader must decide whether or not he will double before 
looking at his partner's hand, else he would have the advantage 
of seeing twenty-six cards and of making his double accord- 
ingly. 

The dummy hands are exposed after any doubhng is made 
but before a card is led. 

According to the files of To-Day and London Opinion, the 
subjoined is one of the most brilliant double dummy problems 
known — "It is probably the most ingeniously perplexing one 
ever constructed, for, providing East and West play correctly, 
North and South, who win the odd trick, can only do so by 
opening game with one particular card." The hands are as 
follows : 





Spades Hearts Clubs 


Diamonds 


w 


10, 9, 6, 5 A., Kg. Kg., Qu., 4 


Qu., 6, o, 2 


N 


Kg., 8, 7, 2 Qu., Kv., 10, 3 9, 7, 3, 2 


Ace 


E 


A., Qu. 9, 8, 2 10, 8, 6, 5 


10, 8, 7, 4 


S 


Kv., 4, 3 7, 6, 5, 4 A., Kv. 

Spades trumps. S. leads. Score, 4 all. 


Kg., Kv., 9, 3 



HOW OTHER BRIDGE GAMES ARE PLAYED 121 



DupKcate Bridge 

For this game, it is necessary to provide such trays as are 
used in DupKcate Whist, in order to carry the cards from one 
table to another. 

There must first be appointed a master of ceremonies whose 
duty it will be to supervise everything except the individual 
scores of players, and after making up any required number 
of tables from 2 to 36, these are suitably numbered and 
each given a scoring siieet and a pack of cards, with 
w^hich latter deals and declarations are made as at four-handed 
Bridge. 

The individual cards are not, however, gathered into sep- 
arate tricks, but are left before each player and, when each trick 
is completed, they are turned over face downward on the table, 
in such manner that the longer side of the card is made to point 
in direction of the winners (perpendicularly to the nearest edge 
of the table) while the losing tricks are made to point the other 
way. Thus the four cards of a trick are all made to point in 
the same direction. 

At conclusion of hand, each player takes up his thirteen cards 
and, after suitably shuffling them, they are placed in a marked 
tray or holder which is then carried in the same position to the 
adjoining table. When the cards at different tables have thus 
been disposed of, a signal is given and all the players — usually 
designated as North, South, East, and West — change their seats 
and go to other tables so that No. 1 holder goes to No. 2 table, 
No. 2 to No. 3, and so on, till all players have made a circuit 
of games at all the tables, or until the agreed schedule has been 
completed and all the players on one side have met those of the 
other. 

Specially prepared score cards show the points and honours 



122 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

won or lost, and player's side showing larger balance is, of course, 
declared the winner. 

This game has not apparently met with as much favour as 
was anticipated, it is said, owing mainly to the wide variations 
attacliing to the different declarations and to the natural 
confusion frequently arising through the use of many trays, 
the method of arranging the cards and also of scoring, as well 
as from the numerous changes in tables, especially during large 
tournament plays. 

See the analysis of plays at Duphcate Bridge by Mr. Foster 
in New York Su?i, January 13, 20, 27, 1901. 

Auction Bridge 

This game, which is apparently but httle known here, as yet, 
is intended for three or four players. It has in it the requisites 
for popularity and will undoubtedly supplant the four-handed 
game in many quarters. 

As its name imphes, the declaration must fall to the highest 
bidder. 

Game consists of four deals, affording one deal to each player 
in turn. The lowest card cut has the first deal. Xo rubbers. 
No doubhng. 

Instead of the dealer or his partner ha^'ing pri\'ilege of 
making any declaration, each player in turn, beginning with 
the dealer, can make such bid (without naming selection) as he 
thinks his hand and that of his partner will warrant, and the 
player making the highest bid plays with his partner's hand 
exposed on the table as in the four-handed game. 

Tricks are thus scored: Misery 14, No Trumps 12, Hearts 
8, Diamonds 6, Clubs 4, Spades 2, and the order of bids is from 
the lowest (Spades) up to the highest (Misery). 

Honours are scored by the difference in totals according to 



HOW OTHER BRIDGE GAMES ARE PLAYED 123 

the players winning them in tricks but not to the original holders. 
In a black suit, honours count 2 points each, in a red suit 4 
points each, and in both Misery and No Trumps, the Aces 
count 6 points each. The last Ace played in each hand is 
always scored double in order to avoid ties in the honour score. 
There is no Chicane, but there are Grand Slam and Little 
Slam. 

The dealer's bid stands unless one of his adversaries makes 
a higher one (eldest hand having the first exclusive right to 
raise) and, in latter event only, the dealer has prior right to raise 
his own or his partner's original bid. Should either of the 
adversaries, after that, again overbid the dealer, then the 
dealer's partner has opportunity to raise. If the partner does 
not avail of the chance, it is again the privilege of the dealer to 
increase his bid. When final bid is settled, the game proceeds 
in ordinary fashion. 

When a trump declaration is made, all tricks over the 
"book" count toward the score, but if declaring side fails to 
make the odd trick they lose double the value. Should Hearts 
be declared, for instance, and the declarers lose 2 by tricks, the 
adversaries would count 8X2X2 = 32 points, in addition to the 
honours contained in the tricks. 

When a No Trumps declaration is made, the declarer must 
present to the adversaries one of the tricks he has won as shown 
by the difference in respective totals. Thus, if the declarer 
makes No Trumps and wins 10 tricks in all, he gives one trick, 
which leaves him but 9 against 4, thus estabhshing a difference 
of 5 tricks or (5 X 12) 60 points. 

In Misery, there are no trumps, and the object is to win as 
few tricks as is possible, the declarer being given by his oppo- 
nents two tricks after the hand is played. So, if the declarer of 
Misery manages to win in all but three tricks, two more tricks 
are presented to him, making a total of 5 to 8, or a difference of 



124 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

three tricks between the two sides, which makes (14X3) 42 
points for the declarer. Had the declarer won as many as five 
tricks, the two tricks added would have made seven in all, or one 
trick to the bad, and his opponents would score double the 
value of that one trick, or (14X2) 28 points. 

Honours, of course, similarly count against the players 
winning them. 

Progressive Bridge 

In most progressive card games, partners at the different 
tables are changed at end of each game, and Progressive Bridge 
is played, on the whole, pretty much in the same manner as is 
Progressive Euchre. Some have called this Drive Bridge. 

Modifications are being introduced, as is the custom in 
nearly all games, but the method most in vogue at present 
writing appears to be the following: 

Two hands are dealt around at each table. After playing 
four deals, the trick and honour scores are added up together 
and recorded upon tally sheets held by each player to be handed 
to the umpire, then, at a given signal, the winners separate from 
the losers, who remain seated, and go to another designated 
table, either above or below, where they join and play against 
the former losers at said table. 

Another method is to have the winners separate, one going 
to the table above and the other to the table below the one they 
formerly occupied; and still another method is to have the 
losers remain at each table but change a seat so as to always 
play against one another in subsequent deals. 

At each change of table, a new cut is, of course, made for 
deal, and, at conclusion of the number of deals, usually 24, 
named for game, the respective prizes are naturally given to 
those making highest total scores. 



HOW OTHER BRIDGE GAMES ARE PLAYED 125 



Three-Handed Bridge or Cut-Throat Bridge 

This is another game for three players; but it is all against 
all, hence its pecuhar name of cut-throat. 

Lowest card, as usual, has first deal and plays dummy for 
that hand. Holder of next lowest card sits at left of dealer 
and the third player on his right. Dealer makes declaration 
or passes to his dummy, for whom compulsory makes follow as 
indicated in Dummy Bridge. 

When the first hand is finished, player on dealer's right 
moves into dummy's vacant seat and the player on dealer's 
left plays with a dummy, and so on, till completion of rub- 
ber — player on dealer's right always moving into the vacant 
seat. 

Rubber consists of four games of 30 points each. Each 
honour is worth one trick and, in No Trumps, each Ace counts 
10. The winner of a game scores 50 points and the first winner 
of two games adds 50 additional points, making a total of 100 
points for winning the rubber. 

Dealer scores value of his winnings as in the four-handed 
game, but whatever he loses is credited invariably above (not 
below) the fine to each of his opponents, who likewise score 
whatever honours are against the dealer. 

When rubber is completed, the difference between the total 
of the winner and that of each of the other two players is settled; 
the third player also crediting to the second such difference as 
exists between their respective scores.^ 

^The principal points of difference between the Cut-throat Bridge and 
the Dummy Bridge are that, at Cut-throat Bridge, each player has diunmy in 
turn for only one hand and that when a player has won his first game, the 
other two players do not lose any points scored by them below the line, but re- 
tain them toward their respective first games. — (Dalton.) We would suggest 



1^6 THE BRIDGE BEIT BOOK 



Misen' Bridge 



This is a game for two plavers, and although four hands are 
dealt out as at ordinary Bridge, but three are actuallv played 
with, the remaining hand being used by the dealer as ** stock/' 
from which he has the right to draw four or less cards, aper 
having disc^arded a like number, face upward, from his own 
hand. After thus discarding and drawing, the dealer declares 
either Xo Trumps or one of the suits, as in ordinary Bridge, 
and the *' stock " cards are no more made use of. The arrange- 
ment of the hands around the table is as follows : 

To the left of the dealer is the *' stock *' hand, and opposite 
to the dealer sits the other player, who plays against him with 
his own hand iu conjunction with the dummy hand, which faces 
that of the ** stock/' 

To add to the variety of the game, its inventor. Mr. Oswald 
Crawfurd, C.M.G., has introduc-ed a joker, called Cato, which 
is the Three of Clubs. ** This card beats every card ia the pack, 
trumps included, but reverts to its ordinary value when Xo 
Trumps or ^Misery are declared. As regards the latter declara- 
tion, from which the game takes its name, the dealer, if he does 
not discard from his hand, may declare Misery. In this case, 
he scores o for every trick made by his opponent over six tricks, 
but the dealer must only win one trick, as if he takes more he 

t'nat dealer, <hi leaving declaration to his dranmT, be allowed to state the mini- 
mum :: rxMnts on whidi he is to call Xo Tmmps. — {Addaom, and UmdattL) 
T :vr rJe> for doubling at Cut-throat Bridge are same as at Dmnmr ^foidge, 
me English code, i^.: Adversaries can doable as at the ordinaxy 
_■ m~ ;. I 1 iler has ri^it of redouUing ahhou^ be has seen the two hands, 
but he cannot again look at his oiwn hand before deciding to redouble. In the 
American game, leader alcMie can double, as at Dummy Bridge, and likewise, 
if the dealer has seei the two hands he cannot redouble. When dummy becomes 
leader, he alone has right to douUe; his partner most look at dummy's hand 
and lead frcm it before looking at his own hand. 



HOW OTHER BRIDGE GAMES ARE PLAYED 127 

cannot score at all and his adversary scores 5 for every trick lie 
takes over one. There are no honours in Misery Bridge and 
no doubling by the non-dealer, but the dealer can double the 
value of his own declared trump by stating he will win eight 
tricks. Should he fail, his opponent scores 10. The scoring 
is same as for ordinary Bridge with above exceptions." — 
("Knave of Clubs.'") 

Recent correspondents of The Field are to be credited with 
the announcement of King's Bridge as well as of the three games 
that follow — Draw Bridge, Short Bridge, and Reversi Bridge. 
As no thoroughly satisfactory explanations of the games are 
given, we add what little has thus far been obtained and append 
in each case some of the editor's remarks. 

King's Bridge 

With King's Bridge, there are two drawbacks. The first 
and smaller is that the variation from the original game makes 
the rubber too long, and the second and more serious objec- 
tion is that dummy is a loser whichever side wins the odd trick. 

Draw Bridge 

Is a game for two players, invented by J. W. Gates and C. 
Vidal Diehl. Four hands are dealt and, as soon as the first 
card is led, both of the dummy hands are placed in specialh 
contrived stands, like our Two-Handed Bridge Whist boards, 
which permit of each player seeing and selecting the cards in 
his own dummy, but prevent his seeing the cards belonging to 
the dummy hand of his adversary. One great objection to the 
laws of this particular game is that on a pass, the absurd method 
of determining the declaration in use at double dummy is 
retained. 



128 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Short Bridge 

Differs from the usual forms, in that doubhng is not at the 
option of players. Xo scores above the hne. 

Reversi Bridge 

Suitable for progressive Bridge parties. Object of players 
is to make as few tricks as possible. No scoring above the line. 

In his "Researches," London, 1816, page 266, Samuel W. 
Singer alludes to "Reversis" as an old French game wherein 
to make fio triclcs "was an advantage." He adds that "the 
strange incongruity of this inverted order of things made the 
Spaniards give to this game the appropriate denomination of 
La gana pierde — the winner loses." 



GLOSSARY 

Ante-penultimate. — The last but two. The lowest card but two 
of a suit. "The lead of the last card of a suit but two, first an- 
nounced by General A. W. Drayson in 1879, to indicate the possession 
of six cards." — (Butler.) In a suit of Queen, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, the 7 
being the penultimate, the 8 is the ante-penultimate. 

Answer or Response. — The action of the dummy when he 
spreads his cards on the table. 

Bath Coup. — Played as follows : Leader, for instance, opens a King, 
Queen suit, with one of the honours, and an adversary, holding Ace, 
Knave, and one or more others, plays small card to the first round — 
idea being to obtain advantage by holding tenace over leader and thus 
completely commanding his suit. ... It may be played safely and 
often quite successfully at Bridge in trump suits; in plain suits it is 
often risky, for the second round of the suit may be trumped, perhaps, 
by the partner of the player who holds the Ace. — (Dunn.) 

Best Card. — The best one still unplayed in the suit. 

Blind Lead. — The first, initial, original play made by the leader. 

Blocking. — Getting into your partner's way by keeping back 
master card of a suit and thus preventing its being established. Un- 
blocking (Plain Suit Echo) is the reverse. 

Blue Peter. — Also called "Trump Signal," likewise the "Call 
for Trumps," which latter could not well, of course, be confounded 
with the "Call for a Ruff." 

Book. — ^The first six tricks taken by either side. Every trick taken 
above the "book" counts toward game. 

Bringing in a Suit. — To secure tricks in it, after it is established. 

By-cards. — ^The number of tricks won above the "book." For 
instance, nine tricks equal three by-cards. 

Call for a Ruff. — At Trumps, playing on first round led by 
129 



130 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

partner a higher card than is played on second round, is intimation 
that you have no more of the suit and desire it led for a ruff. 

Call for a Suit. — Used at both Trumps and No Trumps. It 
consists in discarding an unnecessarily high card before a lower one 
to indicate strength in the discarded suit. 

Call for Trumps. — See Blue Peter. 

Card of Uniformity. — Name given by N.B. Trist to the fourth best. 

Cards of Re-entry. — Winning cards which are retained so that 
the holder may with them again obtain the lead. 

Carte Blanche. — A hand containing no King, Queen, or Knave. 

Chicane. — See Table of Scores, also The American Laws, Sec. 9. 

Circular Discard. — Same as Rotary Discard. 

Clearing a Suit. — Forcing out aU cards of a suit likely to interfere 
with estabHshing 

Cold. — Applied to a card, means that it is unaccompanied by 
a card of re-entry (left out in the cold). 

Command. — -Holding the best card or cards of any suit with which 
holder may at any time control it. See Master Card. 

Compulsory Finesse. — See Finesse. 

Convention. —Method of play conveying information to partner. 

Covering. — Playing higher card on a trick, as, for instance, playing 
Ace second hand upon King led. Also termed "Going Up." 

Cross Rufling. — When a player and his partner can alternately 
trump suits. 

Dealer.— See Fourth Hand. 

Defensive Declaration. — One made more for the purpose of 
sa\^ng game than for scoring. 

Deschappelles' Grand Coup. — " Undertrumping partner, or 
throwing away a winning card, to avoid lead when leading would invoh e 
loss of one trick out of two, both of which might be made were the 
coup player led up to. . . ." ^ 

^ " . . . This is Whist . . . few understand it . . . even the great high- 
priest of the signalling system knows so little of the Grand Coup that a dozen 
editions of his book on WTiist contained an erroneous example of it." — (Rich. A. 
Procior, in Longman's Magazine.) 

Deschappelles' coup, i. e., sacrificing high card of a suit, so as to obtain its 
early command for partner, which, Mr. Melrose says, may occasionally be of great 



GLOSSARY 131 

Discarding. — When unable to follow suit, throwing away some 
card of another suit which is not trumps. 

Double Chicane. — See Table of Scores, also The American 
Laws, Sec. 9. 

Double Tenace. — See Tenace. 

Doubleton. — An original two-card suit. See Singleton, Treb- 
leton. 

Doubling. — Increasing the value of trick points. Same as 
"Going Over." 

Doubtful Card. — One which may or may not win the trick. For 
instance, King is led as a doubtful card when real holder of Ace is un- 
known. 

Down-and-Out Echo. — At Trumps only, upon your partner's lead 
of King, should you be able to hold third trick of the suit either with the 
Queen or with a trump, echo by playing first high, then low, on partner's 
lead. — (Steele.) If, for instance, you hold Queen, Six, Two, and 
partner leads King, play the Six, and, when he follows with Ace, drop 
the Two, showing you are either out of the suit and can trump it or 
have Queen and can win the trick. — (Foster, and " To-Day") 

Ducking is to maintain the command by declining to take pos- 
sible tricks. See Holding Up. 

Dummy. — The player whose cards are exposed on the table. 
The dealer's partner. 

Duplicate. — A modification in which each hand is played more 
than once — usually in tournaments. 

Echo. — At Bridge, against No Trumps, playing an unnecessarily 
high card in partner's suit means that you hold four or more of the suit. 
— (Dalton.) Signal to show abihty to win the third round of the suit 
either with trump or high card. At No Trumps, echo encourages 
partner to continue the suit. — (Elwell.) Mr. Foster has shown in his 
New York Sun articles the many different ways in which the Echo 
could be used, remarking that many of the leading writers were not 
quite agreed as to best way of playing it. 

service at Bridge in a No Trumps declaration, is well illustrated by J. B. Elwell 
("Analysis" Hand 7, also "Advanced Bridge," 1904, pages 215 and 245), like- 
wise by C. D. P. Hamilton at page 495 of his "Modern Scientific Whist." 



132 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Eldest Hand. — ^The player on dealer's left; the one who makes 
the opening lead. 

Established Suit. — When one player (also one side) holds com- 
plete control of the suit — that is, when no adversary can take a trick in 
it. — (Shelby.) When you or your partner are able to take all the tricks 
in it. — (Butler.) When you are in position, with the lead, to make 
successive tricks in it . . . with nothing but trumps to arrest you. 
— (" Badsivorth.'') 

Exposed Card. — Any card which is shown but is not played to 
a trick. Exposed cards are hable to be called. See American Laws, 
Sees. 67-75. 

False Card. — A card played contrary to conventional rules, such 
as, for instance, playing the Ace when holding the King, thus misleading 
as to the cards held. 

Finesse. — To try to take a trick with a card which is not the best 
you could have played. For instance, when holding Ace, Queen, and 
others, to play the Queen upon a low-card lead, hoping the King lies 
to your right. — (Butler.) Murray's Dictionary thus quotes Cavendish's 
definition of this stratagem: " A finesse is an endeavour, by second 
or third player, to obtain or keep the command of a suit by heading a 
trick with an inferior card, although holding a higher one of the suit 
not in sequence. Mr. Melrose points out, at page 180, "Bridge Whist," 
1901, how a Compulsory or Obligatory Finesse may be of the utmost 
importance. Finessing generally is well illustrated by Mr. C. S. Street 
(Hands Nos. 36 and 37), while Mr. Elwell shows very effectively ("An- 
alysis," Hand No. 2), "the forcing of discards to locate a finesse," 
and Mr. Foster ("Bridge Manual," 1901, page 120), how the Eleven 
Rule finesse is to be recommended. 

First Hand. — The first player to any trick at any stage of the 
game. 

Forcing. — Leading a card which the adversary must trump in 
order to take it. See Ruffing. 

Fourchette. — Two cards of a suit, one being next higher and the 
other next lower in value to card led. For instance, the Knave and 
Nine are a fourchette when the Ten is led. — (Butler.) See 
Tenace. 



GLOSSARY 133 

Fourth Best. — The fourth card (in value) of a suit, counting from 
the top downward. — (Shelby.) See article, "The Eleven Rule." 

Fourth Hand. — The player to right of leader — the dealer. Latter 
is represented by the letter Z in all illustrated charts or diagrams; his 
partner, the dummy, being designated as Y, the leader as A, and the 
pone as B. 

French Discard. — See article " The Discard." 

Going Back. — Same as Redoubling. 

Going Over. — Doubling the value of trick points. " I go over," 
means " I double." 

Going Up. — Same as Covering. 

Grand Slam, or Great Slam. — See Table of Scores. 

Guarded. — A high card is guarded when it is so protected by one 
or more smaller cards that it cannot be taken by the adversaries' higher 
cards. Properly, a King needs one additional card, a Queen two, 
and a Knave three other cards to be suitably guarded. 

Hand. — The handful of cards held by each player at beginning of 
the game. — (Murray's Dictionary.) 

Holding Up. — Underplaying or refusing to play best card of a suit 
so as to retain command of it. For instance, when King is led, the 
second hand to refrain from playing the Ace thereon. 

Honours. — See Table of Scores. In a suit declaration, the Ace, 
King, Queen, Knave, and Ten; in a No Trumps declaration, the four Aces. 

Irregular Lead. — One that is neither fourth best, third best, nor 
from any high combination. 

Jeu de Regie. — Rule of play. 

King Card. — See Master Card. 

Leader. — The player who leads the first card in any round. 

Leading Through. — Leading a suit in which your left-hand 
adversary is strong. 

Leading Up To. — Playing a suit in which your right-hand 
adversary is weak. 

Le Grand Coup. — See Deschappelles' Grand Coup. 

Little Slam, or Small Slam.— See Table of Scores. 

Long Suit. — A suit consisting originally of four or more cards. 
See Strong Suit. 



134 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Losing Card. — Any card that is unlikely to (or cannot) take a 
trick. 

Love. — No score. To play for love is to play without stakes. — 
{Shelby.) The partners who have not scored are said to be at the point, 
or at the score, of love. 

Love- All. — Nothing to nothing. The state of the score before 
either side has made a point. — (Shelby.) 

Major Tenace. — See Tenace. 

Make. — Another word for the declaration. 

Master Card. — The best card remaining of a suit. Also called the 
King Card : when the Ace, King, and Queen, for instance, have been 
played, the Knave is the master or king card. 

Minor Tenace. — See Tenace. 

Misdeal is a deal in which some player is given less than 
thirteen cards. No misdeal at Bridge: American Laws, Sec. 37. 

Missing Suit. — One of which no card is held, or so very weak that 
it cannot be counted on for a trick. 

Obligatory Finesse. — See Finesse. 

Odd Trick. — The first trick over the "book" of six; the seventh 
trick. 

Original Lead. — The initial lead of the game. The first lead 
made after cards have been dealt and prior to dummy exposing his hand. 

Pass. — The dealer passes when he leaves the declaration, or make, 
to his partner, the dummy. 

Penultimate. — The last but one; next before the last. See Ante- 
penultimate. 

Peter.— See Blue Peter. 

Pip. — One of the spots on dice or on playing cards : thus, the Ace 
has one pip; the Ten, ten pips. — {Century Dictionary.) 

Plain Suit. — A suit that is not trumps. 

Plain-Suit Echo. — When there is no trumping to be done, the 
down-and-out echo is useless, and the plain-suit echo takes its place. — 
{Foster.) The leader should always be on the lookout for his partner's 
making the plain-suit echo, which is done only when holding exactly 
jour cards of leader's suit. For instance : Leader holds Ace, King, Ten, 
6, 5 and third player holds Knave, 8, 3, 2. Leader plays Ace and third 



\ 



GLOSSARY 135 

player plays 3; leader next plays King and the third player plays 8. 
If he goes on with the suit, third player may play Knave to third round. 
Thus leader's suit is not blocked. — (Dunn.) See Unblocking. 

Playing to the Score. — Laying aside normal rules of play by 
reason of the condition of the score. 

Pone. — The third hand. The younger hand. The player on right 
of dealer. The leader's partner. The cards having been shuffled, 
the dealer passes them to the pone to be cut. 

Protected Card. — See Guarded. 

Protective Declaration. — Same as Defensive Declaration. 

Quart. — Any four cards in sequence. Quart Major: the highest 
four cards in sequence, viz. — the Ace, King, Queen, Knave of any suit. 

Quint. — Any five cards in sequence. Quint Major: the Ace, 
King, Queen, Knave, Ten of any suit. 

Quitted Trick. — One that has been turned and quitted, i. e., 
collected and left face downward upon the table. See American Laws, 
Sees. 89 and 97. 

Redoubling. — -Doubling an already doubled make or declaration. 
Sometimes called "Going Back." 

Re-entry. — See Cards of Re-entry. 

Renounce. — Failure to follow suit for want of cards of that 
suit. 

Reverse Discard. — According to General Dray son: "When dis- 
carding and wishing to give the opposite meaning to the usual 
discard indication, reverse the order, that is, signal, and it indicates the 
reverse of the usual discard." 

Revoke. — When a player holds one or more cards of the suit led, 
yet plays a card from a different suit. The revoke penalty takes pre- 
cedence of all other scores — tricks score next — honours last. See 
American Laws, Sees. 85-95. 

Rotary Discard. — Method of discarding whereby the suits are 
given an arbitrary order, so that a discard from one means strength in 
the next in order. It was first proposed at Whist by Mr. P. J. Tormey, 
who said that it endowed the card with twofold information. "It 
should not be countenanced." — (Foster.) "Beneath notice." — (''Cav- 
endish.'') See, also, article "The Discard." 



136 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

Rubber. — Is the best of three games. American Laws, Sec. 1. 

Rubber Game. — ^The decisive gamie in a series. At Bridge, as at 
T\Tiist, if the first two games are won by same players, the third game 
is not played. 

Rufl^g. — Trumping a trick willingly. The act is termed " a ruff." 
See Forcing. 

Sans Atout. — Without trumps — no trumps. 

Sans Atout Force. — A compulsory declaration of No Trumps. 

Scoring. — See Table of Scores. 

Second Hand. — ^The second player to any trick at any stage of 
the game.^ 

Seesaw. — Is same as cross-ruffing. 

Sequence. — ^Two or more cards (of consecutive value) in regular 
order as to rank. Ace, King is a sequence of two cards. Three cards 
in a sequence is a tierce, hence Ace, King, Queen is a tierce major. 
See Quart, Quint. A suit of Ace, King, Queen, 3, 2 contains a head 
sequence; Ace, Knave, Ten, 9, 3, an intermediate sequence; Ace, 9, 8, 7, 
an under sequence; Ace, King, Queen, 9, 8, 7 contains a head sequence 
and a subordinate sequence. — {Hamilton.) In the distribution of 
cards, sequences are in favour of the dealer, while tenaces are in 
favour of the adversaries. — {The Field.) 

Seven Discard. — See article "The Discard." 

Short Suit. — A suit originally consisting of less than four cards. 
To make partner clearly understand you are leading a short suit (and 
not the fourth best of a long one) customary to lead highest card. — 
(Elwell.) As stated in the Eleven Rule article, Mr. W. H. Whitfeld 
thinks there is little to show between lead of fourth best and lowest. 

Signals. — See Unnecessarily High Card. 

Simple Honours. — The possession of three honours out of the 
five in a suit declaration. 

Singleton. — Only one card of a suit dealt to a player. The worst 
of all possible leads at Bridge. — {" Badsworth.") 

Slam. — See Table of Scores. 

^ General INIaxims: Second hand plays low — Cover an honour with an 
honour — Cover any card led by dealer, if it is obvious dummy will pass it in case 
you do not cover. — (Dalton.) 



GLOSSARY 137 

Strong Suit. — "I call four the normal number in strong suits. 
It is the type; more than four is very strong." — {''Cavendish.") See 
Long Suit. 

Supporting Cards. — Such as are played to strengthen partner's 
hand. 

Tenace. — Matthews uses this French word in its proper sense: it 
means "the hold a player has on the suit." — (Knowledge.) The best 
and third best, or the best, third best, and fifth best cards of a suit: 
Ace, Queen, and Ten constitute a double tenace. — (Shelby.) When a 
fourchette occurs in an honour score it is called a tenace — Ace, Queen 
being the major tenace and King, Knave the minor tenace. — (Steele.) 

Third Best.— See article, " The Twelve Rule." 

Third Hand. — The leader's partner, or pone. The third player 
to any trick. 

Tierce. — A sequence of three cards. A tierce to King, is King, 
Queen, and Knave. See Sequence for tierce major. 

Top-of-Nothing Lead. — Is lead of top card from short suit. In 
the Howell system, the 8, 7, 6 spots are always led from "the top of 
nothing." — (Butler.) The high-card leads from strength, in Bridge, 
are Ace, King, Queen, and Ten, the Knave being always "the top of 
nothing." — (Foster.) 

Trebleton. — An original three-card suit. See Doubleton, Singleton. 

Trousseau Hand. — A httle of everything. 

Trump Signal. — "Portland'' speaks of the inutility of the call for 
trumps at Bridge, but says it has nevertheless its supporters, notably Mr. 
Archibald Dunn, and also "Badsworth," whom he considers one of the 
finest exponents of the game. Against a suit declaration, it means that 
you hold but one more card of the suit and can trump it on third 
round. The signal should never be used if one of the two cards is an 
honour. — (Dalton.)^ Mr. Foster tell us that the trump signal is 
never used at Bridge, because if a player is strong enough to signal, 
he should have been strong enough to go over. "Hellespont," on the 

^ While a call for trumps would be sometimes advantageous, the power of 
showing only two of a suit is so much more frequently desirable that the signal 
(now universally used and practically the only signal possible in Bridge) 
should be allotted exclusively to the latter. — ("Pontifex.") 



138 THE BRIDGE BLUE BOOK 

other hand, says: "It does not seem sound to maintain that, because, 
at Bridge, a player has the privilege of doubling, therefore it is unneces- 
sary to afford him any facilities for calling for trumps." At page 202, 
fifth edition, of his well-known work, " Hellespont " names three 
ways in which player may call for trumps: (1) playing to first and 
second rounds of suit led by one's partner, a higher card than on the 
third; (2) playing a higher card to first round, and a lower to second 
round, of a suit led by dealer's side; (3) discarding a higher, then a 
lower, card to two winning cards led by one's partner, when unable to 
follow suit. 

Unblocking. — Consists in varying your normal style of playing, in 
order to get out of partner's way in a suit, so that he can continue it. 
Applies mainly to No Trumps hands, although important in Trumps. 
— (Smith.) Unblocking plays must not be confounded with the 
system called "Down and out," which is never used except when 
playing against a declared trump; not an unblocking play, but an 
invitation to partner to go ahead and force you. — (Foster.) In The 
Field, October 11, 1884, appeared the first of nine articles ... by 
which "Cavendish" reduced the unblocking play to a system which he 
called the Plain-Suit Echo and which he afterward termed the Un- 
blocking Game. The latter has since been admirably illustrated by 
C. D. P. Hamilton in his "Modern Scientific Whist." See Blocking, 
Plain-Suit Echo. 

Underplay. — After the first round of a suit opened by left-hand 
opponent, when you hold the best card, it is often advantageous to 
lead a low card of the suit through the original leader. This is termed 
underplay. — (Fisher Ames.) For instance : Dealer declares No Trumps 
on — Hearts, Ace and three small; Diamonds, Ace and three small; 
Clubs, Ace and two small; Spades, two small, and the dummy's exposed 
hand contains five or six Spades headed by Ace, King, and only small 
cards in other suits. Dealer should lead small Spade when obtaining 
the lead and play small Spade from dummy on first round, as, by 
reserving Ace and King for second and third rounds, the lead will 
remain with dummy for the fourth. — (Steele.) See Holding Up. 

Unnecessarily High Card. — Playing it signifies, (l) at the No 
Trumps call, that you hold four or more of the suit (see Echo); 



GLOSSARY 139 

(2) at the Trumps declaration, that you hold only one more of the suit 
(see Call for a Ruff, Trump Signal). Discarding it, either against 
a No Trumps or Trumps declaration, indicates strength in the suit 
discarded (see Call for a Suit). " Badsworth^' shows ("Laws and 
Principles of Bridge") that playing an unnecessarily high card can be 
used to convey information in as many as seven different ways. In the 
chapter headed "Calling for Trumps," at pages 37-42 of his well- 
known book on Bridge Whist, Mr. Melrose initiates the reader into a 
Whist convention which may occasionally be employed with advan- 
tage at Bridge. This, says he, is known variously as "Petering," 
"The Trump Signal," or "The Call for Trumps," its object being to 
ask your partner to lead a trump. The author explains fully the sig- 
nificance and interpretation to be given to the play or discard of an 
unnecessarily high card, whether for calling — preferably by two cards 
in sequence, either as second, third, or fourth player — for a finesse, 
etc., etc. 

Weakness. — Inability to win tricks for want of high cards or 
trumps. 

Weak Suit. — One so devoid of high cards as to make the taking 
of tricks very unlikely. 

Yarborough. — A hand in which all the cards are smaller than the 
Ten. . . . Nothing higher than the Nine, and no long suit at that. — 
{Melrose and Hamilton.) 



GENERAL INDEX 

Accepted leads from high card combinations. (See Leads.) 

Aces are the honom-s in No Trumps Declarations (Am. Laws, Sec. 5), 16, 

102. 
"Addington," 26. 

Almack's London Club. (See Club.) 
Alternative discard. (See Discard.) 
American Laws of Bridge. (See Bridge.) 
American School of Discard. (See Discard.) 
Ante-penultimate, 84, 94, 95, 129. 
"Answer," same as Response, 129. 

Arlington Club— now The Turf Club, London. (See Club.) 
Asian, The, of Calcutta, 3, 30, 56, 93. 
Association of U. S. Clubs — Association Laws, 10, 13, 14. 
Australasian, The, of Melbourne, 27. 
Athenaeum Club. (See Club.) 

Badminton Magazine ("Portland"), London, 7, 9, 11, 12, 20, 24, 52, 67-74, 

89, 137. 
Bath Coup, how played, 129. 
Best Card, 129. 
Bibliography of Bridge, 6-11. 
Big Slam. (See Grand Slam.) 
Biritch — "Biritch, or Russian Whist," 1. 
Blenheim Club, London. (See Club.) 
Blind Lead. (See Bridge, Opening Lead.) 
Blocking and Unblocking, 62-65, 129, 138. 
"Blue Peter," 129. 
"Book," 16, 129. 

Bridge, a monthly magazine published in New York, 11. 
Bridge, American Code of Laws, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 102-118. 

Articles on — in Magazines, etc., 11. 

Association Laws of U. S. Clubs, 10, 13, 14. 

"Auction," Game of, 8, 122-124. 

Bibliography of, 6-11. 

Blind Lead at. (See Lead, Opening.) 

"Cut-throat," Game of, 125. 

Declarations at, 6, 14, 16-45, 108-109 (Am. Laws, Sec. 45-49). 
141 



142 GENERAL INDEX 

Bridge, " Double-Dummy," Game of, 10, 120. 

Doubling and Redoubling at. (See Doubling and Redoubling.) 

"Draw," Game of, 10, 127. 

"Drive," Game of, 124. 

"Dummy," Game of, 119. 

"Duplicate," Game of, 121, 131. 

English Code of Laws, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 102, 106-108, 110, 114. 

Etiquette of. (See Hints at Bridge.) 

French publications on, 11. 

General Hints at, 99-101. 

General Rules concerning the Game of (Am. Laws, Sec. 96-102), 116- 
117. 

Glossary of, 129-139. 

History of, 1-5. 

Honours, 16, 102, 103, 133. 

How the ordinary Game is played, 13-15. 

How the other Bridge Games are played, 119-128. 

"Kings," Game of, 127. 

Laws of. (See above: American Code of Laws — English Code of Laws.) 

Leads at, 7, 8, 54, 85. 

Leads at, by "Probelmaticus" of the Bystander, 81-83. 

Leads at, issued for members of the Blenheim Club, 79-80. 

Leads at, from high card combinations, and Notes thereon, 67-76. 

"London," Game of, 10. 

"Misery," Game of, 7, 126. 

"Myskore," Game of, 7. 

New Cards to be used at (Am. Laws, Sec. 103-104), 117-118. 

No Misdeal at (Am. Laws, Sec. 37), 107. 

Opening-Original-Blind-Lead at, 14-15, 54, 129, 134. 

Origin of the name of, 1. 

"Progressive," Game of, 9, 124. 

"Reversi," Game of, 128. 

"Short," Game of, 128. 

The Deal at (Am. Laws, Sec. 32-44), 106-108. 

The discard at, 9, 86-93. 

"Three-handed," Game of, same as "Cut-throat Bridge." 

vs. Whist, 7. 

Views of Different Authors concerning, 3-5. 

Whist conventions and methods employed at, 66. 
Bringing in a suit, 129. 
Bryce, Marie. ("Eiram Ecyrb.") 
Butler, Wm. Mill, author, 97, 119, 129, 132, 137. 
By-cards, 129. 

Bystanders, their privileges, etc. (Am. Laws, Sec. 105), 118. 
Bystander, The, London, 8, 11, 67, 81-83. 



GENERAL INDEX 143 

Call for a ruff, 129, 139. 

Call for a suit, 90, 93, 130, 139. 

Call for trumps, 130, 139, 

Card, doubtful, 131. 

Card of uniformity, 130. 

Card protected, or guarded, 133, 135. 

Card, the best, 129. 

Card, the King, or Master, 134. 

Cards, by-, 129. 

command of, 130. 

covering (same as Going Up), 130, 133. 

cutting (Am. Laws, Sec. 14-16), 13, 104. 

exposed, before and during play (Am. Laws, Sec. 67-75), 112-113, 132. 

false, 132. 

guarded — protected, 133, 135. 

losing, 134. 

master, 134. 

new, to be used (Am. Laws, Sec. 103-104), 117-118. 

of re-entry, 130, 135. 

played in error (Am. Laws, Sec. 82-84), 114-115. 

protected. (Same as Guarded Card.) 

shuffling of (Am. Laws, Sec. 29-31.), 106. 

supporting, 137. 

unnecessarily high — played and discarded, 138-139. 
Carte blanche, 130. 
Cayene, Cayenne, 2. 
Chances. (See Probabilities.) 

Chances of dealer and non-dealer scoring honours and winning rubber, 85. 
Chicane (Am. Laws, Sec. 6-12), 16, 17, 18, 102, 103, 123, 130. 
Circular discard. (See Discard.) 
Classical no-trumpers, 26. 
Clearing a suit, 130. 
Club, Almacks, London, 4. 

Arlington (now Tm-f Club), London, 1. 

Association. (See Association.) 

Athenaeum, London, 92. 

Blenheim, London, 8, 12, 48, 67-75, 79-81, 89. 

Constantinople, 2. 

New Bridge, London, 4. 

Ormonde, Dublin, 87. 

Perth, W. A., 110. 

Portland, London, 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 102. 

Turf, London, 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 102. 

Whist, New York, 2, 6, 8, 10, 102. 
Clubs Declaration, 34-35. 



144 GENERAL INDEX 

Code of Leads, by "Problematicus" of the Bystander. (See Leads.) 

"Cold," 130. 

Combinations, Table of, to show unblocking, 63. 

Command of cards, 130. 

Compulsory declaration for dummy in other than ordinary games, 119. 

Compulsory finesse (Same as Obligatory). 

Constantinople Clubs. (See Club.) 

Convention, Blenheim Club, 48, 81. 

Definition of, 130. 

Eleven Rule— Fourth best, 94, 97, 133. 

Hearts, 49-51. 

Seven Rule, 26-27. 

Short (Weak) Suit, 49-50. 

Spades, 36. 

Twelve Rule— Third best, 98, 137. 

used at Whist and employed at Bridge, 66. 
Coup — Bath, how played, 129. 

Deschappelles' . (See Deschappelles.) 
Covering of cards (same as Going Up), 130. 
Cross-ruffing, 130. 
Cunnington, R. H., author, 49. 
Cutting cards (Am. Laws, Sec. 14-16), 13, 104. 
Cutting out (Am. Laws, Sec. 23), 105. 

Deal, new one may be made (Am. Laws, Sec. 39), 107. 

new one jnust be made (Am. Laws, Sec. 38), 107. 

the— at Bridge (Am. Laws, Sec. 32-44), 106-108. 
Dealer, 13, 130. 
Declaration, The, 6, 14, 16-45, 108-109 (Am. Laws, Sec. 45-49). 

by dummy, 24, 36, 39, 43, 44. 

cannot be altered (Am. Laws, Sec. 49 and 60), 14, 109, 111. 

compulsory No-Trumps — sans atout force, 21, 119, 136. 

defensive or protective for the dealer, 42, 135. 

defensive (same as protective), 34, 42, 130, 135. 

for dealer at score of love-all, 40-41. 

for dummy at different scores, 43. 

for dummy at the score of love-all, 44. 

in the third game of rubber, 45. 

of black suits by the dealer, 33. 

of Clubs, 34-35. 

of Diamonds by dealer and dummy, 31-33. 

of Diamonds, termed by some fatal, 33. 

of Hearts by dealer and dummy, 27-30. 

of No-Trumps by the dealer and dummy, 16, 17, 21-25. 

of Spades, 35-36. 



GENERAL INDEX 145 

Declaration, The, of Trumps (Am. Laws, Sec. 45-49), 108-109. 

protective. (See Declaration, defensive.) 

to the score by the dealer, 19, 37-38. 

to the score by the dummy, 39. 
Defensive or protective declarations, 34, 42, 130, 135. 
Deschappelles, G. Le Breton, 97, 130. 
Diehl, C. Vidal, author, 10, 75, 127. 
Discard according to Blenheim Club, 81. 

according to different authorities, 9, 86-93. 

Alternative, 88. 

American School (from strength), 89-93. 

Circular (same as Rotary), 91-93, 130, 135. 

directive and no trumps ("Hellespont"), 89. 

English School (from weakness), 88-93. 

Forcing the, 132. 

French School, 91-93, 133. 

Reverse, 88, 135. 

Rotary. (Same as Circular.) 

Seven, 91-92, 136. 
Discarding, definition of, 131. 

Double Chicane (Am. Laws, Sec. 9, Note), 16, 103, 131. 
Double Dummy Bridge problem, 120. 
Double tenace, 131. 

Doubled No Trumps — Blenheim Club, London, 81. 
Doubleton, 131. 

Doubling and Redoubling (Am. Laws, Sec. 50-60), 14, 46-53, 109-111, 131, 
135. 

a suit declaration, 51-53. 

No Trumps as leader, 46-48. 

No Trumps as third player, 48-51. 
Doubtful Card, 131. 
Down-and-out echo, 131. 

Drayson, General A. W., author, 94, 129, 135. 
Ducking, 131. 
Dummy, 13-15, 131. 

Dummy, Declarations by, 24, 36, 39, 43, 44. 
Dummy, duties of (Am. Laws, Sec. 61-66), 111-112. 
Duplicate, definition of, 131. 

Echo, 86, 131, 138. 

"Eu*am Ecyrb" (Marie Bryce), authoress, 9. 

Eldest hand, 13, 132. 

Elementary Conventions of Blenheim Club. (See Convention.) 

Eleven Rule finesse, 132. 

Eleven Rule — The fourth best. (See Convention.) 



146 GENERAL ESTDEX 

English Code of Laws. (See Bridge.) 

English School of Discard. (See Discard.) 

Entry and Re-entry, rights of (Am. Laws, Sec. 24—28), 105-106. 

Estaialished suit, 13-2. 

Etiquette of Bridge, 10. (See Hints at Bridge.) 

Exposed cards (Am. Laws, Sec. 67-75), 112-113, 132. 

False card, 132. 

Fatal Diamond Declarations, 33. 

Field, The (W. H. Whitfeld). London, S, 11, 12, 20. 21, 24, 27, 32, 34, 37, 40, 

42-45, 54-55. 5S, 85, 87, 88, 90, 92, 93, 97, 127, 136, 138. 
Finesse, against partner, 61, 101. 

compulsory (same as Obligatory ^ 130, 132. 

location of, by forcing discard, 132. 

ordinary, 61, 132. 
First hand, 132. 
Forcing, 132. 

Forming tables (Am. Laws, Sec. 17-22\ 104-105. 
Four aces, odds against holding, 24. 
Fourchette, 132. 

Fourth best — Eleven Rule. (See Convention.) 
Fourth hand, 133. 
French School of Discard. (See Discard.) 

General Hints, 99-101. 

General Rules (Am. Laws, Sec. 96-102\ 116-117. 

Glossary, 129-139. 

Going back (same as Redoubling^, 133. 

Groing over (same as Doubling), 133. 

Gk>ing up (same as Covering), 130, 133. 

Grand, sans atout, 2. 

Grand Coup. (See DeschappeUes.") 

Grand Slam — Great Slam — Big Slam — (American Laws, Sec. 6, 10-12), 9, 16, 

17, 18, 102, 103, 115, 123. 133. 
Guarded card, 133. 

Hamilton, C. D. P., author, 131, 136, 138, 139. 
Hand, the, 133. 

Eldest— First, 13, 132. 

Ex3X)sed, or exposed cards (Am. Laws, Sec. 67-75), 112-113, 132. 

Third, 13, 60, 8S-84, 137. 
Head Sequence, 136. 
Hearts Convention. (See Convention.) 
Hearts Declaration, 27-30. 
Hints at Bridge, 99-101. 



GENERAL INDEX 147 

History of Bridge, 1-5. 

Holding-up, 133. 

Honours (Am. Laws, Sec. 5-10), 16, 102-103, 133. 

How the ordinary Game of Bridge is played, 13-15. 

How the other Bridge games are played, 119-128. 

"Hmidred aces," 21. 

leralasch, 2. 

Illustrated Sporting News ("Bascule"), London, 11, 12, 19, 20, 23, 36, 41, 44, 

50, 51, 58, 67-75, 78-79, 86, 110. 
Inferences from high card leads, at Trmnps and No Trumps, 76-79. 
Initial lead. (See Bridge, Opening Lead.) 
Intermediate sequence, 136. 
Irregular Lead, 133. 

Jeu de regie, 21, 133. 

Khedive, 2. 
King Card, 133. 

Laws of Bridge. (See Bridge, American Code — English Code.) 

Leader, the, 13-15, 133. 

Leads — accepted leads from high card combinations at No Trumps, 67-70. 

accepted leads from high card combinations at Trumps, 70-72. 

advantage of leading ace to retain command, very small; practically 
negligible, 55. 

and Conventions of the Blenheim Club. (See Club, Blenheim.) 

approved by fhe majority of London Clubs, 73. 

at Bridge, 7, 8, 54-85. 

best suits to lead from, according to Mr. W. H. Whitfeld, 54-55. 

by "Problematicus" of the Bystander, 8, 81-83. 

high card leads at No Trumps, play of third hand, 83-84. 

inferences from high card leads, 76-79. 

irregular, 133. 

Notes in support of high combination leads, 73-76. 

opening — original — initial — ^first — blind, 14-15, 54, 129, 134. 

out of turn. (Am. Laws, Sec. 76-81), 113-114. 

play of dealer's left hand adversary at No Trumps, 58-60. 

play of third hand against high card leads at No Trumps, 83-84. 

the blind lead (see Bridge, Openmg Lead), 129. 

the only accepted ones against a No Trumps declaration, 73. 

through dummy's strength, 100, 133. 

up to dummy's weakness, 100, 133. 
Le Grand Coup. (See Deschappelles.) 
Little Slam (Am. Laws, Sec. 6-10), 16, 17, 18, 102, 103, 115, 123, 133. 



148 GENERAL INDEX 

London Opinion, (See To-Day and London Opinion.) ^ 

Long Suit, 133. 
Losing Card, 134. 
Love, 134. 
Love-all, 134. 

McTear, J. S., author, 3, 7. 
Main waring, Arthur, author, 6, 28. 
Major quart or quint, 135. 

tenace, 134, 137. 

tierce, 137. 
Make, another name for the declaration, 134. 
Master Card, 134. 
Metcalfe, A. R., author, 9, 28, 31. 
Minor tenace, 134, 137. 

Misdeal, none at Bridge (Am. Laws, Sec. 37), 107, 134. 
IVIissing suit, 134. 

Names of Authors and Publications prominently cited, 12. 

New Bridge Club, London. (See Club.) 

New cards to be used (Am. Laws, Sec. 103-104), 117-118. 

New Deal at Bridge (Am. Laws, Sec. 38-44), 107-108. 

Notes in support of leads from high card combinations, 73-76. 

No Trumpers, classical and sporting, 26. 

No Trumps, Accepted Leads at, 67-70. 

Blenheim Club, 80. 

Declarations, 16, 17, 21, 25. 

doubling as leader, 46-48. 

doubling as third player, 48. 

Obligatory finesse (same as compulsory finesse), 130, 132. 

O'C. M., Dr., of Ormonde Club, author, 87. 

Odds against holding four aces, 24. 

Odd trick, 134. 

Original classifications, 67. 

Original lead. (See Bridge, Opening Lead.) 

Ormonde Club, Dublin. (See Club.) 

Out of turn leads (Am. Laws, Sec. 76-81), 113-114. 

"Pass," 134. 

Penalties for revoking, etc. (Am. Laws, Sec. 85-95), 115-116. 

Penultimate, 83, 84, 94, 95, 134. 

Perth Club. (See Club.) 

Peter-Petering. (See "Blue Peter.) 

Pip, 134. 



GENERAL INDEX 149 

Plain suit, 134. 

Plain suit echo, 134, 138. 

Playing to the score, 135. 

Play of dealer's lefthand adversary at No Trumps, 58-60. 

Play of third hand against high card leads at No Trumps, 83-84. 

Pone, 13, 60, 135. 

Portland Club. (See Club.) 

Pre-antepenultimate, 94, 95. 

Probabilities as to holding aces and suits, 24, 85. 

as to scoring honours and winning rubber, 85, 101. 

as to suits going round, 85. 

as to taking tricks, 54, note. 

table of, 85. 
Problem at Doubie-Dununy Bridge, 120. 
" Problematicus," author. (See Bystander.) 
Proctor, R. A., author, 95, 130. 

Protective declaration. (Same as defensive declaration.) 
Protected card, 135. 

Quart — quart major, 135. 
Quint — quint major, 135. 
Quitted trick (Am. Laws, Sec. 89, 97), 115, 116, 135. 

Redoubling, Doubling, etc. (Am. Laws, Sec. 50-60.) (See Doubling.) 

Re-entry cards. (See Cards of Re-entry.) 

Re-entry, rights of (Am. Laws, Sec. 24-28), 105-106. 

Renounce, 135. 

Response, same as Answer, 129. 

Reverse discard. (See Discard.) 

Revoke, The (Am. Laws, Sec. 85-95), 115-116, 135. 

Rights of entry and of re-entry (Am. Laws, Sec. 24-28), 105-106. 

Robertson — Robertsonian — Rule, 7, 25-27. 

Rotary discard. (See Discard.) 

Rubber game, 136. 

Rubber, The (Am. Laws, Sec. 1), 102, 136. 

Ruff, Call for a, 129, 1S9. 

Ruffing and cross ruffing, 130, 136. 

Rules, General, covering play of cards (Am. Laws, Sec. 96-102), 116-117. 

Rules: the Eleven Rule, -i 

the Robertson Rule ,^ ^ . ^ 

the Seven Rule f ^^^^ Convention.) 

the Twelve Rule J 

Sans atout, 2, 136. 

Sans atout farce, 21, 119, 136. 



150 GENERAL INDEX 

Saturday Review (Wm. Dalton), London, 2, 4, 6-12, 20, 22, 24, 25, 28, 29, 31, 
32, 34, 36, 38-40, 44, 46, 47, 50, 56, 60, 61, 68-79. 88-90, 97, 125, 131, 
136, 137. 
Score, best method of keeping, 17-18. 

plaj-ing to the, 99. 
Scores, table of, 16. 

Scoring (Am. Laws, Sec. 2-13), 16-18, 102-104, 136. 
Second hand, 136. 
Second hand play, 57-60. 
See-saw, 136. 
Sequence, head, 136. 

intermediate, 136. 

meaning of, 136. 

mider, 136. 

subordinate, 136. 
Seven discard. (See Discard.) 
Seven Rule, The. (See Convention.) 
Short Suit Convention. (See Convention.) 
Short Suit, definition of, 136. 
Shufflmg of cards (Am. Laws, Sec. 29-31), 106. 
Signals. (See Elementary Conventions of Blenheim Club, also Unnecessarily 

High Card.) 
Simple honours, 136. 
Singleton, 136. 
Slam, Grand. (Am. Laws, Sec. 6-12.) (See Grand Slam.) 

Little. (Am. Laws, Sec. 6-10.) (See Little Slam.) 
Small Slam. (Same as Little Slam.) 
Spades Convention. (See Convention.) 
Spades Declaration, 35. 
Sporting no trumpers — "Addington," 26. 
Strong Suit, definition of, 137. 
Subordinate sequence. (See Sequence.) 
Suit, best ones to lead from (W. H. WTiitfeld), 54-55. 

bringing in a, 129. 

caU for a, 90, 93, 130, 139. 

clearing a, 130. 

declaration, doubling a, 51. 

declaration of, 16, 27-45. 

established, 132. 

long, 133. 

missing, 134. 

plam, 134. 

short, 136. 

strong, 137. 
Supporting Cards, 137. 



GENERAL INDEX 151 

Table of probabilities. (See Probabilities.) 

Table of Scores. (See Scores, Table of.) 

Tables, forming of (Am. Laws, Sec. 17-22), 104-105. 

of accepted Leads at No Trumps, 67-70. 

of accepted Leads at Trumps, 70-72. 

of combinations to show unblocking, 63. 

of declarations, 40-45. 

of declarations for dealer at score of love-all, 40-41. 

of declarations for dummy at different scores, 43. 

of declarations for dummy at love-all, 44. 

of declarations in the third game of the rubber, 45. 

of probabilities as to suits going round, 85. 

of protective or defensive declarations for the dealer, 42. 

of the bibliography of Bridge, 6-11. 

showing play of dealer's left-hand adversary, 58-60. 

showing play of third hand against high-card leads at No Trumps, 
83-84. 
Tenace, double, 131. 
Tenace, major, minor, etc., 134. 
Tenace, meaning of, 137. 
Teralache, 2. 

Third best. (See Convention.) 
Thu-d hand, 13, 60, 137. 

Third hand play against high-card leads at No Trumps, 83-84. 
Tierce — tierce major, 137. 

Times of Ceylon Press, Colombo, publishers, 10. 
To-Day and London Opinion, 5, 11, 120, 131. 
Top of nothing, 137. 
Top of nothing lead, 137. 
Turf Club. (See Club.) 
Trebleton, definition of, 137. 

Tricks— quitted (Am. Laws, Sec. 89, 97), 115, 116, 135. 
Tricks, value of (Am. Laws, Sec. 4-13), 16, 102-104. 
Trist, N. B., author, 130. 
Trousseau hand, 137. 
Trumps, accepted leads at, 70-72. 

declaration of. (Am. Laws, Sec. 45-49), 16, 108-109. 
Trumps, call for, 130, 139. 
Trump signal, 137, 139. 
Twelve Rule — The third best. (See Convention.) 

Unblocking — unblocking game. (See Blocking and Unblocking.) 

tables of combinations to show, 63. 
Underplay, 138. 
Under sequence, 136. 



152 GENERAL INDEX 

Uniformity, card of, 130. 

Unnecessarily high card, played and discarded, 138-139. 

Vanity Fair ("Keystone"), London, 11, 12, 40, 41, 43-45, 90, 
Views of different authors concerning Bridge, 3-5. 
"Vint," Game of (now national game of Russia), 2, 3. 

Weakness, 139. 

Weak Suit, 139. 

Weak Suit Convention. (See Convention.) 

Westminster Papers, quotation from, 99. 

Whist, a monthly magazine published in Boston, 11. 

Whist Club of New York. (See Club.) 

Whist vs. Bridge, 7. 

Yarborough, 19, 35, 139. 

Yeralash, 2. 



3li.77-3 



